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Today we will examine how a court ruling affects the Biden administration’s climate plans. We will also be looking at a new U.S./Egypt Climate Working Group and German climate protests blocking traffic.
Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk are The Hill’s Rachel Frazin & Zack Budryk. Send tips to [email protected], [email protected]. Follow us on twitter: @RachelFrazin @BudrykZack.
Let’s get started.
Biden administration will delay oil and natural gas leasing despite appeals from climate ruling
After a court decision against the process it uses to calculate the social cost of climate changes, the Biden administration announced that it will suspend or delay federal oil and gas leasing.
On February 11, Judge James Cain of Louisiana’s Western District was appointed by Trump to block the administration’s method of calculating costs related to greenhouse gasses, which is the primary driver of climate-related change. Biden’s administration had reverted to Obama-era calculations, and plans to develop its own.
How did we get to this point? Cain was ruled by him. Federal agencies that aren’t workingIt prohibits the White House Interagency Working Group from considering the findings. This group was charged with developing new metrics based upon the Obama-era calculations. It also prohibits the administration from considering global effects of greenhouse gas emissions. This distinction is what made the Obama estimates so much higher than the Trump administration.
Saturday evening’s legal filing by the Justice Department requested that the court stay the injunction because it is likely that its appeal will succeed.
The filing states that “from President Nixon onwards, every President has imposed some Internal Executive Branch requirement for federal agency to assess the benefits and costs of major government actions.” “The injunction also calls into question the authority and competence of the previous three Administrations to provide standard guidance to agencies on the best methods to estimate the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions.”
What’s next: “Work surrounding public-facing regulations, grants, leases permits and other projects was delayed or stopped altogether in order for agencies to assess whether and when they can proceed,” the filing states.
“The Interior Department assessed program components that include interim guidance on the social cost analysis from the Interagency Working Group. There are delays in permitting or leasing for the oil-and gas programs,” Melissa Schwartz, Interior spokesperson, stated in a statement Saturday night.
Learn more about the filing process here.
US and Egypt launch joint working groups
U.S. climate envoy John KerryThe first meeting of a climate working group between Egypt and the United States was held by Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian Foreign Minister. This was during Kerry’s visit to Cairo.
According to the State Department the group will focus on two areas: one, this year’s COP27 Climate Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Egypt, November, and the other, “bilateral cooperation” on a range adaptation and mitigation-related issues.
The group was created by the countries that agreed to it last year.
Kerry also spoke Monday at American University Cairo.
What did he say to you? During his speech, the Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary-of-state stressed the importance of climate goals implementation, or what he called “implementation+.”
“What does this entail? “It means delivering on existing promises, strengthening commitments which are not strong enough, as well as creating new commitments or efforts where none exist,” he stated, according to a copy his prepared remarks.
The push comes amid uncertainty over whether the U.S. can meet its climate commitments. Sen. Joe Manchin (D.W.Va.), despite having expressed openness to climate change, has resisted passing a bill by the Biden administration on social and climate spending.
Kerry nodded in agreement, saying, “We hope” that legislation will be passed that would invest $500 million in combating climate change.
You can read more about the announcement here.
GERMAN OFFICIALS DECIDE CLIMATE ACTIVISTS WHO BLOCKED ROADS
German officials condemned Monday’s protests over climate change, including those near Hamburg, which is the country’s largest port.
Bavaria’s top security official Joachim Herrmann, who is also a member the Christian Social Union, stated that it was a serious violation of the law to “massively impede people’s mobility and block the movement of goods.” According to The Associated Press.
According to the AP report, members of the group Uprising of the Last Generation blocked roads Monday in Stuttgart and Freiburg as a protest against food waste. The group demanded the end of food waste, stating that disposing large quantities of edible food contributes greatly to hunger and climate change.
According to the AP Nouripour, the head German environmentalist Green Party, stated that he supports peaceful protests. However, he added that road blockages could hinder support for climate change. He also condemned the threats of activists to escalate the protest unless the government meets their demands by last Sunday.
Germany The carbon emission target is not being met.After the government set ambitious climate goals to be carbon neutral by 2045, reduction targets were established.
Learn more about the protests by clicking here.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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The global climate attention crisis (POLITICO)
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Study shows that renewable energy could help to prevent blackouts a year after the Texas cold snapThe Washington Post)
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Wyo., EPA edge towards power plant dealE&E News)
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New Mexico’s legislative session is a failure for energy and environment bills (NM Political Report)
Finally, something a little offbeat and unorthodox: Hank.
This is it for today. Thanks for reading. Visit The Hill’s website. Energy & Environment PageGet the latest news and coverage. We’ll be seeing you Tuesday.
