By: Allison McKenzie
In February 2022, the Biden administration made a potentially strategic move in the battle against climate change through a combative plan to regulate carbon emissions resulting from industrial manufacturers.
If this new task force is successful, its creation would prove to be a vital decision in the battle against climate change. The industrial sector produces approximately 1/3 of the greenhouse gases created in the United States.[1] In fact, “Industrial emissions are on track to be the biggest source of climate pollution in the United States by the end of this decade.”[2] As a result of these haunting statistics, the administration has announced a goal to cut industrial carbon emissions by 65% by 2030 in an effort to reach net zero emissions by 2050.[3] The administration has further stated that it plans to set the federal government on a trajectory to consume electricity only through carbon-free and non-polluting sources by 2030.[4]
The creation of the “Buy Clean” task force is the latest step that the administration has taken in combating this major contributor to carbon emissions. Specifically, the task force will track carbon emissions and ensure an increasing federal use of clean construction materials.[5] In doing so, the task force “will recommend ways to boost federal purchases of clean building materials and identify materials, such as steel and concrete, as well as pollutants to prioritize for consideration in federal government purchases.”[6] This task force is unique in its role as there has yet to be an agency dedicated to the regulation of manufacturers of steel, aluminum, concrete, and other major building materials whose emissions have so contributed to the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.[7]
As this game plan plays out, $9.5 billion will be spent in encouraging the commercial-scale development of clean hydrogen.[8] Clean hydrogen is what is known as a zero-carbon alternative; the objective would be to use this alternative as opposed to natural gas.[9] Additionally, the task force will be focused on deploying technology for carbon capture (‘grabbing’ carbon pollution at its source), its utilization, and later sequestration.[10] This process is more commonly known as “CCUS.”[11] Notably, this new task force and the goals that it intends to implement have gained bipartisan support which serves as an encouraging notion in light of the obstacles that the Biden administration has faced in its promised battle against climate change.[12]
For instance, the administration has faced recent push-back while engaging in efforts to combat increasing emissions of greenhouse gases. President Biden recently ordered federal agencies to phase out the purchase of gasoline-powered vehicles by the year 2035, but an independent agency affiliated with the United States Postal Service defied that order in purchasing 165,000 gas-powered trucks.[13] Although the Postal Service has stated that it might reconsider its earlier stated position if the federal government provides it with more funding[14], the administration also awaits potential aggression from the judiciary branch. Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked the administration’s efforts to utilize the “social cost of carbon” measurement in recent developments within the federal rules.[15] There is also an impending possibility that the Supreme Court will restrict the federal government’s ability to regulate carbon emissions in deciding a pending case this year.[16]
The enactment of this task force is a vital step in the administration’s fulfillment of its promise to combat climate change, and that reason it is critical that it proves to be a winning move in this ongoing battle.
[1] Friedman, L. (2022, February 15). Biden administration promises to buy ‘clean’ industrial materials. The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/climate/biden-clean-energy.html
[2] Id.
[3] Person, & Shepardson, D. (2022, February 15). Biden to launch ‘buy clean’ U.S. government task force. Reuters. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/biden-launch-buy-clean-us-government-task-force-2022-02-15/
[4] Id.
[5] Friedman, supra note 1.
[6] Person, supra note 3.
[7] Bonifacic, I. (2022, February 15). Biden administration forms buy Clean Task Force to decarbonize Federal Procurement. Engadget. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.engadget.com/biden-administration-buy-clean-task-force-222631881.html
[8] Beals, R. K. (2022, February 15). Biden and ‘buy clean’ task force will tap infrastructure funds to cut emissions from steel, aluminum and concrete. MarketWatch. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/biden-to-tap-infrastructure-funds-to-clean-up-vital-steel-aluminum-and-concrete-sectors-11644919555
[9] Id.
[10] Id.
[11] Id.
[12] Id.
[13] Friedman, supra note 1.
[14] Person, supra note 3.
[15] Beals, supra note 8.
[16] Id.