15 years ago it was predicted that CO2 emissions would reach 3,000 million metric tons (MMT) by 2020 in the US. As an incredible surprise, by 2020 emissions were actually 1,450 MMT. That means that we have halved our country's electricity emissions in only 15 years-- talk about an achievement! At this rate, we could reach 0 emissions within another 15 years (2035).

Sustainability and Biden’s Climate Change Plan

Climate policy analysts and Joe Biden unanimously agree that by 2035 we should aim to have the electricity sector entirely decarbonized. If Biden’s Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Standard gets passed, we might be able to do just that. The real question though, is if we will be able to reach this ambitious goal within less than 15 years.

This huge slash in emissions can be credited to a few trends we saw over the last year. For one, we witnessed a massive drop in coal usage. The natural gas sector has also experienced major growth, while remaining rather inexpensive. Renewable energy resources also did extremely well due to aligned policies to lower costs, combined with consistent demand. If such trends continue, we are well on our way to 0 emissions within the next 15 years.

Benefits of the Sustainable Energy Trend

Other than fighting climate change, we've experienced some other benefits from such a major drop in emissions. For one, as we have almost eliminated coal usage, we have also lowered pollution, which means a healthier population! An increased interest in renewable energy also meant a surge in employment possibilities. Of course, jobs in coal fell, but the overall increase in natural gas and renewable energy related jobs has increased to 920,000!

Decarbonizing and the Future of the US

When it comes to slashing emissions, what we’ve witnessed over the last 15 years in the US is nothing short of astounding. Without added costs, we have not only made great strides towards meeting our climate change goals, but have also created a healthier generation which is growing up with far less pollution.

Of course, there are many factors to consider when looking at these optimistic predictions. The pandemic resulted in 2020 being a much “greener” year than expected, due to less frequent travel and many industries shutting down. With time we will see if these trends continue, but for the sake of our planet and health, let’s hope they do!

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