Sources: Biden will pledge to halve emissions by 2030

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030 as he convenes a virtual climate summit with 40 world leaders, according to three people with knowledge of the White House plans.

The 50 percent target would nearly double the nation’s previous commitment and require changes in the power and transportation sectors, including significant increases in renewable energy such as wind and solar power and steep cuts in emissions from fossil fuels such as coal and oil.

The nonbinding but symbolically important pledge is a key element of the summit, which begins Thursday as world leaders gather online to share strategies to combat climate change.

The emissions target has been awaited by all sides of the climate debate. It will signal how aggressively Biden wants to move on global warming, a divisive issue that has riled Republicans to complain about job-killing government overreach even as some on the left worry Biden has not gone far enough to address a profound threat to the planet.

The three people who know about the White House plans spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because they were not authorized to discuss the pledge ahead of the announcement.

Biden has sought to ensure that sthe target is aggressive enough to have a tangible impact on climate change efforts, not only in the U.S. but throughout the world, while also achievable under a closely divided Congress.

Scientists, environmental groups and even business leaders have called on Biden to set a target that would cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

The target Biden chooses “is setting the tone for the level of ambition and the pace of emission reductions over the next decade,” Kate Larsen, a former White House adviser who helped develop President Barack Obama’s climate plan, said before the target was revealed.