Highlights of Obama’s plan to cut carbon
President Obama unveils a broad plan aimed at curbing climate change and its impacts in a speech Tuesday at Georgetown University. President Obama's full climate action plan (PDF)
Curbing carbon pollution
• Directs the EPA to establish carbon pollution standards for both new and existing power plants.
• Promises $8 billion in loan guarantees for fossil fuel projects.
• Directs the Interior Department to permit 10 gigawatts of wind and solar projects on public lands by 2020.
• Expands the president’s Better Building Challenge, helping buildings cut waste to become at least 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020.
• Sets a goal to reduce carbon pollution by at least 3 billion metric tons cumulatively by 2030 through efficiency standards set for appliances and federal buildings.
• Commits to developing fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles.
• Aims to reduce hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases.
• Directs agencies to develop a comprehensive methane strategy.
• Commits to forests and other landscape protection.
Preparing for climate change
• Directs agencies to support local investment to help vulnerable communities become more resilient to the effects of global warming.
• Establishment of flood-risk reduction standards in the Hurricane Sandy-affected region.
• Will work with the health-care industry to create sustainable, resilient hospitals.
• Distribution of science-based information for farmers, ranchers and landowners.
• Establishment of the National Drought Resilience Partnership to make rangelands less vulnerable to catastrophic fires.
• Climate Data Initiative will provide information for state, local and private-sector leaders.
Leading global efforts to address climate change
• Commits to expanding new and existing initiatives, including those with China, India and other major emitting countries.
• Calls for the end of U.S. government support for public financing of new coal-fired power plants overseas.*
• Expands government capacity for planning and response.
*Except for efficient coal plants in the poorest countries, or for plants using carbon capture.