From Expectation to Action - Distinguishing the Biden –from the No-Trump– effect on the Environment
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ victory in the U.S. presidential election has sparked a wave of relief and hope throughout the world, particularly among Europeans. Their election is a turning point in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, Biden's Plan for climate and environmental justice appearing to be the most ambitious ever put forward by a U.S. president.
Ahead of a critical year for climate and biodiversity, the Europeans have already announced their desire to reactivate transatlantic cooperation on environmental issues, for example through the negotiation of new treaties.
However, Biden's ability to deliver on his ambitions is not guaranteed, especially since Congress still lacks a Democratic majority. The implications of Biden's domestic ambitions on international priority setting also remain unclear.
This paper explores areas where the new commitments by the Biden administration could achieve major progress on the environment, focusing in particular on potential international agreements on climate, biodiversity, the ocean, and trade. Throughout their analysis, the authors also aim to understand how EU-U.S. cooperation might be reshaped in the major upcoming environmental negotiations.
