WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will announce a set of new initiatives and actions Tuesday aimed at protecting forests globally, spurring clean-energy innovation and reducing methane emissions during his second day at the United Nations' COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
Biden's plan to conserve forests includes a commitment of up to $9 billion of U.S international climate funding to the effort by 2030, according to senior White House official who discussed the announcements on the condition of anonymity.
Other components involve incentives for forest conservation and restoration, and efforts aimed at increasing private investment and data collections for forest protection.
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Biden's presence at the high-stakes COP26 summit comes as he's been unable to get his climate agenda approved at home with Democrats in Congress still divided over his $1.75 trillion spending package.
On the first day of the summit, Biden touted his "build back better" proposal as "the most significant investment to deal with the climate crisis that any advanced nation has made, ever." But until it passes, Biden must rely largely on executive authority for his biggest climate splashes.
As part of Biden's plan to curb methane gas emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency will propose a new rule to regulate leak detection and repairs for the oil and gas industry. The rule follows through on an executive order Biden signed on his first day of office.
The U.S. and European Union have a goal of reducing methane emissions by 30% below 2020 level by 2030.
The White House estimates that the EPA rule will cover about 75% of all methane emissions. The Department of the Interior is also planning a new rule to disincentive venting to dispose of gas.
In addition, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will propose a series of new regulations to cover about 400,000 miles of previously unregulated pipelines including new safety requirements, mandatory inspections and oversight of leaks. A separate PHMSA rule will target 2.3 million miles of gas pipes in cities that have previously gone unregulated.
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To push for greater innovation, Biden plans to also announce a new "movers coalition" with 25 founding members from technology and other industries – including major companies such as Apple – that will each make commitments on clean energy. He will push companies to use renewable energy to offset electricity demand through a a new procurement platform that businesses can access.
The president will also highlight a "sustainable agriculture sector" and a "next generation of nuclear technology" as key pieces of growing the clean technology economy, the officials said.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.
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