November 16, 2016

The White House released its Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization, which identifies key actions the United States must take to reduce its carbon footprint by 2050. The impetus for the report came last March when the White House released at joint press release detailing its commitment with Canada to fulfill the climate goals set forth by the Paris Agreement.

Actions proposed within the report include, investing in energy-efficient technologies, altering the electricity system by improving transmission systems and electricity storage, and adopting clean energy and low carbon fuels for transportation infrastructure, buildings, and the industrial sector. To facilitate these goals, the federal government will expand state and local carbon emission policies and provide incentives for carbon dioxide removal technologies.

The report also notes the importance of sequestering carbon through proper forest and soil management. A balance between biomass storage and critical land use priorities suggested in the report could support those practices. Artificial carbon dioxide removal technologies such as Bioenergy Plus Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) are also noted as worthwhile investments to reduce our country’s carbon footprint.

Non-CO₂ emissions, such as methane and nitrous oxide, are targeted in the proposed strategy through regulatory policies, technological advances, and updated agricultural practice guidelines.

The Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization is set to be implemented over the next 34 years.

Sources: European Biofuels Technology Platform, White House Office of the Press Secretary