Biden: 'punitive action' against fossil fuel use not needed
(31 Oct 2021) US President Joe Biden said on Sunday there was no need for "punitive action" against fossil fuel usage in order to meet the target of reaching zero carbon emissions by 2050. Speaking to the media on the final day of the G-20 summit in Rome, Biden said the aim as part of the fossil fuel reductiion was to have half of America's vehicles electrically powered by 2030. But until then "the idea we're not going to need gasoline for automobiles is just not realistic" he said. Biden's climate change plan includes more than $300 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy such as wind and solar power, as well as investments to boost nuclear power, sharply increase the number of electric vehicles and spur production of batteries and other advanced materials. "I don't think you're going to need any any punitive action to get people to step up and do those things," he said. At the end of the summit, G-20 leaders agreed to stop funding coal-fired power plants in poor countries and made a vague commitment to seek carbon neutrality “by or around mid-century”. Biden also said that the fate of a renewed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, rested on whether the original signatories "make sure there's a price to pay economically" should Tehran refuse to return to the agreement. Efforts are ongoing to try to revive the 2015 deal and restore Iran's program to where it was under the pact, which kept the Islamic republic at least one year away from the potential to field a nuclear weapon. Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union remain part of the deal. The four leaders met Saturday after American officials blamed Iran for a drone attack on a remote US outpost in Syria. Officials said Monday the US believes Iran resourced and encouraged the attack, but that the drones were not launched from Iran. "With regard to the issue of how we're going to respond to actions taken by them against the interests, the United States, whether they're drone strikes or anything else, is we're going to respond. We're going to continue to respond," Biden said. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
