- President Joe Biden took swift action on his first day in office to begin unraveling former President Donald Trump’s oil legacy.
- As part of a sweeping executive order, the president revoked a key permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and placed a moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Refuge.
- While those actions are largely symbolic, his efforts Wednesday demonstrate that his administration is centering policies that combat climate change.
President Joe Biden wasted no time in unraveling Donald Trump’s oil legacy after taking office Wednesday, kicking off the most ambitious climate agenda ever put forth by a US president.
Many of his actions were largely symbolic including issuing a moratorium on oil leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. While rejoining the Paris Agreement gives the US a seat at international negotiations, any pledge the country makes under the agreement to reduce emissions is voluntary. Other moves are set to have far-ranging consequences, such as a review of fuel-efficiency standards.
Oil industry groups showed mixed reactions to the president’s energy-related actions. The American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s most powerful lobby, supported rejoining the Paris Agreement, for example, but said Biden’s decision to revoke a key permit for the Keystone XL pipeline was “a significant step backwards.”
