Biden has said he would immediately rejoin the Paris climate agreement, but that's the easy part. Ultimately meeting his ambitions for the U.S. on the world stage would be much trickier.
Where it stands: Biden's domestic climate agenda will almost certainly be limited — at least for the foreseeable future — to what he can pursue using executive powers.
The centerpieces of his climate plan — securing $2 trillion in spending over four years and making the electricity grid carbon-free in 15 years — are unlikely to materialize without Democratic control of the Senate.
- Removing longstanding tax breaks the oil industry receives also seems unlikely, though bipartisan support could emerge for more clean-energy spending and tax incentives.
Biden would lean heavily on executive powers — much like the Obama administration — to implement at least parts of his climate agenda. He has vowed to ban new leases for oil and gas drilling on federal lands and in federal waters.
Go deeper: Amy's full story on the Biden climate agenda.
