Cutting Carbon: Biden White House Sets Bold 2035 Climate Goals

On Dec. 19, 2024, President Joe Biden announced an ambitious new climate target for the United States: a 61 percent-66 percent reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, compared to 2005 levels. This announcement is a signal to the international community that the U.S. remains committed to combating climate change.

The new target was formally communicated to the United Nations Climate Change secretariat in an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) toward the Paris Agreement goal to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. It significantly expands on the United States' previous pledge of a 50 percent-52 percent reduction by 2030. This accelerated trajectory toward decarbonization also brings the U.S. back into alignment with President Biden's target of a net zero greenhouse gas economy no later than 2050.