Joe Biden’s Election: What It Could Mean For Sustainability

It has been an eventful and tense four days in the United States. At this moment, either a sigh of relief, resignation, or delight, most people around the United States are at least thankful that these hectic days are behind us.

In a stunning, nigh-unexpected historical outcome, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. clinched the win in the 2020 Elections to become the 46th President of The United States.

Like every other course altering historical events, speculations and predictions are already on-going on the implications of this win on several crucial political, social, economic, and health issues currently plaguing the nation and broadly, the entire world.

On this note, it is important to us, to show the most probable implications of the Biden-Harris win on environmental justice, sustainability, climate action, clean energy, and overall environmental policies.

President Donald Trump’s position on environmental actions and sustainability has been clear from the very moment he stepped into office. He has made decisions that are directly adverse to much-needed actions on environmental decisions.

From his strong push for fossil fuels and little or no attention towards renewable alternatives. To his appointments of people who are vehemently opposed to regulations on Green-house emissions. His opposition and public antagonism of environmental activists such as Gretha Thunberg, and finally; successfully pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement – making the United States the first country ever to do so.

It is not so difficult to see where President Trump stood when it came to environmental and climate actions.

But, given the recent Victory of Joe Biden at the polls making him the next President of the United States, one can correctly expect his policies and decisions to be significantly different.

Unlike his predecessor, Biden does not deny the urgency of climate change, or the importance of appropriate actions towards that end.

Building back and tackling climate change better was at the foremost of his campaign promises as outlined in his plans.

“Joe Biden knows there is no greater challenge facing our country and our world. That is why he is outlining a bold plan – a Clean Energy Revolution – to address this great threat and lead the world in addressing climate change.”

One can expect that there will be significant climate actions in the coming years. Compelling strides towards clean energy integration won’t be a surprising outcome of the Biden-Harris administration.

There will be environmental awareness, as Biden’s presidency is stationed to be led by a President that recognizes the seriousness of environmental sustainability and climate change and will be leading the charge towards creating awareness for these necessary subjects. 

And finally, one would expect the United States to be back into the Paris Climate Agreement. Given the almost opposite positions of the incumbent President of the United States, and the recent President elect, it would not be a far fetched guess to predict; prevalent decisions made by the current administration with significant environmental implication, to be overturned by the Biden administration, and Paris Climate Agreement is an unopposed top three on the list.

Summarily, the United States once again has had the world hold its breath as nearly everyone keenly monitored the outcome of the election. In world politics, it is right to say that policies, decisions and actions from Washington can have consequences at every other part of the world. So, there is a chance that the United States led by an environmentally conscious, non-climate change denier president will breathe a new air towards global actions in tackling environmental sustainability and climate change.

A new administration has been chosen, if one were to sound a bit more poetic – “A new dawn approaches”, and let us hope, this dawn shines more light on pressing environmental concerns and leads to important climate actions.