UN Climate Conference: Obama pursuing emission reductions
With the United Nations Climate Conference underway, all eyes are on the US delegation to see what strides the international leader has taken to address climate change.
Although the issue received little attention during his campaign, in his first press conference following his re-election President Obama declared himself a ‘firm believer’ in man-made climate change, recognizing that steps need to be taken to reduce the impact of green house gas emissions.
At the UN Conference in Doha Qatar, US delegation leader Johnathan Pershing reaffirmed the US goal of achieving a 17% reduction in emissions from 2005 levels by 2020.
To achieve this target, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new regulations for coal and natural gas power plants.
To reduce transportation emissions, the President collaborated with the country’s thirteen largest auto manufacturers to establish a 54.5 miles per gallon (MPG) standard for new cars and light trucks by 2025.
(11/29/12)