Stating that climate change poses an “existential threat” to humanity, on Jan. 27 President Joe Biden signed an encompassing Executive Order (EO) in an effort to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, affecting producers.
The EO follows the actions on Biden’s first day in office to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and halt the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
“The United States will work with other countries and partners, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to put the world on a sustainable climate pathway. The United States will also move quickly to build resilience, both at home and abroad, against the impacts of climate change that are already manifest and will continue to intensify according to current trajectories,” the EO states.
Accomplishing this task will be complicated with the petroleum industry pushing back against the halt on oil leases and green groups applauding the order, stating it’s an “important first step” and “we still have our work cut out for us.”
Overview
The EO creates an Office of Domestic Climate Policy alongside a national climate task force, with leaders from across 21 federal agencies and departments to “enable a whole-of-government approach to combating the climate crisis.” This includes creating a Justice40 initiative that would direct agencies to invest toward a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits—including energy efficiency, clean transit, sustainable housing and “the remediation and reduction of legacy pollution”—go to disadvantaged communities.
Biden will host a Leaders’ Climate Summit on Earth Day, April 22, to stress his administration’s global commitment to the climate crisis and create a new position, the special presidential envoy for climate, which will have a seat on the National Security Council.
Building on a previous EO that federal purchases must be products made in America, the EO directs agencies “to procure carbon pollution-free electricity and clean, zero-emission vehicles to create good-paying, union jobs and stimulate clean energy industries.” These union jobs would include abandoned mine cleanup, plugging of orphan oil and gas wells, land restoration, and assisting the Department of the Interior (DOI) for the development of renewable energy on public lands.
It also calls for creating the Climate Conservation Corps and employing younger workers to restore public lands and waters while “increasing carbon sequestration in the agricultural sector, protecting biodiversity, improving access to recreation, and addressing the changing climate.”
The EO directs the DOI to preserve 30 percent of land and waters by 2030. According to the department’s press release, “Interior will undertake the process with broad engagement, including agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign tribal nations, states, territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that reflect the priorities of all communities.” While the agency will try to establish guidelines to measure the goal, the DOI states that 60 percent of the nation is currently in a “natural state.” The U.S. Geological Survey states 12 percent of lands are permanently protected.
Finally, it directs the DOI to pause oil and gas leases on public lands or in offshore waters “pending completion of a comprehensive review and reconsideration of federal oil and gas permitting and leasing practices.” It does not pause existing leases or leases on private and tribal lands.
Agriculture’s role
The secretary of Agriculture will participate in the climate task force; work with the secretary of Interior on oil and gas lease royalties and their climate costs; engage in the creation of the Civilian Climate Corps; and work with agriculture owners on the 30 percent conservation goal.
The agency will in the 60 days after the signing work with tribes, farmers, ranchers, forest owners, conservation groups, firefighters, and other stakeholders on the use of Department of Agriculture programs and funding to encourage the voluntary adoption of climate-smart agricultural and forestry practices that decrease wildfire risk. The EO stipulates the adoption must “result in additional, measurable, and verifiable carbon reductions and sequestration and that source sustainable bioproducts and fuels.” In the 90 days following the signing of the EO, it will submit a report to the climate task force detailing the measures discussed.
The order directs the secretary of Agriculture to collect input from farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders on “how to use federal programs to encourage the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices that produce verifiable carbon reductions and sequestrations and create new sources of income and jobs for rural Americans,” according to a fact sheet released by the White House.
Reaction
Agricultural groups stated they look forward to working with the Biden administration, stressing producers continue to be part of the climate solution.
“As the Biden administration develops a plan to achieve their goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands and oceans by 2030, we look forward to working with them to ensure these conservation efforts recognize the immense existing contributions of federal lands ranchers,” said Public Lands Council (PLC) Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover in a press release. “PLC will continue to advocate for conservation policy that takes a comprehensive view of Western natural resource issues. We appreciate the administration’s outreach and look forward to showing them that conservation can only be achieved by working with ranchers who already protect America’s natural resources.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall stated the organization appreciates the Biden administration is committed to seeking input from America’s farmers and ranchers but will be “closely monitoring” proposed policies to ensure they are “fair-minded and enable farmers, ranchers and rural America to thrive.”
“We stand ready to work with the administration on science-based, voluntary and market-driven programs. American agriculture already leads the world in climate-smart practices, but we are always looking for new ways to improve. We must ensure a healthy environment while creating income and job opportunities for rural America,” Duvall said in a statement.
The Texas Farm Bureau stated in a press release that Texas producers are “deeply committed” to caring for the soil and water, but “there must be science, research and verification that a policy directive will produce a net benefit” to be sustainable.
“Texas farmers and ranchers look forward to sharing ideas with the Biden administration on how federal programs can be used to encourage adoption of practices that produce meaningful carbon reductions and sequestrations.”
Oil and gas industry groups were quick to condemn the EO with The Western Energy Alliance, which represents 200 oil and natural gas companies, filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, citing Biden’s EO is a violation of the Mineral Leasing Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act.
“The law is clear. Presidents don’t have the authority to ban leasing on public lands. All Americans own the oil and natural gas beneath public lands, and Congress has directed them to be responsibly developed on their behalf,” said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance. “Drying up new leasing puts future development as well as existing projects at risk. President Biden cannot simply ignore laws in effect for over half a century. Biden’s ban is an overreach meant to satisfy the environmental left, but it would seriously harm the livelihoods of tens of thousands of westerners and put at risk millions more as state services become unfunded.”
Sgamma stated on TV network Fox and Friends after the announcement it will “kill 58,700 jobs in eight states in the West, where over 97 percent of the federal production is found.” Sgamma also noted a study by the American Petroleum Industry showed 10.3 million jobs directly or indirectly are derived from the oil and gas industry.
The EO also met opposition from some in Congress, with Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) stating it “will deprive thousands of people in Wyoming of their jobs and a principal source of revenue for public education and other essential services” and energy jobs will go elsewhere. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and 24 other senators from oil-producing states introduced legislation that would require congressional approval for any suspension of fossil-fuel leasing or permitting on public lands and waters.
A similar bill prohibiting any moratorium on federal oil and gas leasing or permitting or coal leasing unless Congress enacts a joint resolution of approval was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY-At Large) and cosponsored by 21 representatives from coal and oil-producing states. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
