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President Biden Highlights the Climate-Related Accomplishments and Legacy of His Term in Office

November 17, 2024 / As quoted in press services and the Office of the US White House media release

In the Amazon Rainforest, President Biden urged leaders to work to protect the environment on Sunday, during a visit to the Amazon rainforest that marked the first such trip by any sitting U.S. president in history, warning that "history is literally watching us now."

"Today, I'm proud to be here — the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest — to recommit to protecting the rainforests, like this one" the president said. He added that "the fight to protect our planet is literally a fight for humanity for generations to come."

He highlighted his climate legacy, declaring that no one can reverse America’s green transition as President-elect Donald Trump’s fossil-friendly policies loom large.

The president said the "fight against climate change has been a defining cause of my presidency," touting rejoining the Paris Agreement, launching a global methane pledge and delivering on climate financing. The president announced during the visit that the U.S. has reached its goal of increasing its climate finance to over $11 billion a year, up from $1.5 billion when Mr. Biden took office. He also designated Nov. 17 as International Conservation Day, while the administration announces new conservation efforts including $50 million for the Amazon Fund, among other initiatives. And he cited the passage of the "most significant climate change law in history," referring to the Inflation Reduction Act, which cuts carbon while creating clean energy investments and jobs.

Mr. Biden outlined that leaders "don't have to choose between the environment and the economy," urging that "we can do both."

Biden began his term by bringing the U.S. back into the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change that Trump had withdrawn from. Trump, a climate change skeptic, has said he will withdraw from the agreement again, as well as loosen restrictions on oil and gas exploration.

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