January 1, Biden Orders Federal Government to Hit Net-Zero Carbon Emissions By 2050

President Joe Biden signed an executive order that directs the federal government to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The order also instructs the government to use its spending power to hit a goal of 100% carbon-free electricity and reduce its operating emissions by 65% by 2030. 

Biden’s order received praise from Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE), who put out a statement calling it “the right thing to do.”

The measure “will move us closer to reaching our shared climate goals and strengthen our clean energy sector” and “enhance the implementation of our recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure bill, meaning more Americans getting to work in good-paying jobs,” Carper said.

However, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) was critical of the order, calling it insufficient.

“2050 is an extremely weak goal for the federal government to free itself from climate-heating pollution,” CBD senior counsel Bill Snape said in a statement.

“It ignores existing technology and adds decades to [the General Services Administration] ’s own commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2025. This is like a teenager promising to clean their room in 30 years. We need action now.”

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President Biden signs executive order to make federal government carbon neutral by 2050