What's up with
climate action in the US?
2.7
1.8
100
BILLION
people threatened
by deadly heat waves
FEET
potential
sea level
rise
coral reefs
at risk of bleaching
PERCENT
© WWF-US/Chris O'Leary
Climate change is an undeniable crisis across the globe, with impacts affecting people and nature here and now. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) is crucial if we want to avoid the worst consequences.
Why 1.5°C?
Since the industrial revolution, the average global temperature has been rising as a result of human activity. That rise has led to more extreme weather disasters and is pushing ecosystems closer to collapse. If that average temperature increases by more than 1.5°C, the consequences will be significantly worse. 1.5°C is our best shot at containing the climate crisis.
Are we on track?
No. The average global temperature has already increased by 1.1°C, and we’re far off track from achieving our goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. In fact, even with all current national climate actions and decarbonization pledges, we’d still see a 2.1°C increase.
Climate action is not only important but imperative if we want to protect and preserve our planet.
Myself, my friends, and my community were directly impacted by climate change via an extreme weather event in September, 2017. I know it will continue to profoundly affect me for the rest of my life. I was living in the Florida Keys when Hurricane Irma, category 5, destroyed the island. I lost my home, most of my personal belongings, and was laid off from my job. It took me about a year to realize that I would be considered a climate refugee.
During hurricane Harvey my school became a temporary shelter and I had many acquaintances who lost everything and had to rely on the facilities offered by my school for days on end.
Many people think of climate change as something happening to the polar bears in the Arctic. I want others to realize that it’s not just affecting one people or place. In reality, it’s happening everywhere – from Puerto Rico to New Orleans and California.
What has the US been doing about it?
Hover over a year to learn more
2022
2019
2017
2015
The Global Youth Climate Strike takes place.
The People's Climate March takes place around the world.
The Paris Agreement is adopted, creating a framework for reducing carbon emissions.
After months of intense negotiations and dashed hopes of a breakthrough, Democratic leaders in Congress managed to meet the moment and pass the Inflation Reduction Act. On August 16, President Biden signed this historic bill into law, which commits over $350 billion in climate and clean energy investments and is the most transformative action the United States has yet taken to reduce its emissions and live up to its international pledges under the Paris Agreement.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) gets at the root cause of climate change—carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels— by providing major new federal resources and incentives to curtail those emissions and shift to renewable energy for American businesses, communities, and individuals.
The IRA is the most significant investment addressing climate change in US history—but it still doesn’t get us all the way there. Even in the best-case scenarios, the provisions in the new law will result in reducing emissions by around 40% by 2030, falling short of the 50-52% committed to by President Biden and short of what we will need in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Nevertheless, it gets us within reach of that goal, and paves the way for additional actions to help the US government meet its mark.
Sarah O., DC
Apsara M., TX
Lyssa M., MA
Gabriel S., AK
August: President Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act into law.
2022
2021
September: The Build Back Better Act is introduced in Congress. President Biden pledges $11.4 billion per year in climate finance.
President Biden rejoins the Paris Agreement and announces ambitious decarbonization targets for the US.
2021
2017
2017
President Trump withdraws the US from the Paris Agreement.
In the absence of federal leadership, states, cities, Native Nations, businesses and universities step up on climate action.
November: Leaders gather in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt for COP27.
We need to make this moment count.
The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act was significant. The international climate talks happening in Egypt come at crucial turning point.
Together we can still change the trajectory of the climate crisis and build a future that protects people, wildlife, and wild places.
TAKE ACTION
*by year 2100
Why 1.5°C?
Are we on track?
© WWF-US/Keith Arnold
Hover over each circle for more information
President Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act into law.
Together for Implementation is the theme for the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27). As world leaders convene on the shores of the Red Sea, the focus of the activity-filled two weeks will be on just that: how countries can go from talking about their climate change commitments to actually implementing them.
What to expect at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Establish a transparent and common understanding of how to accelerate action and assess progress toward a Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).
We're calling on leaders to:
Create ambitious, time-bound targets to fulfill existing commitments to forest conservation and restoration.
Commit to finance investments that exceed the $100 billion objective from developed countries this year, and exceed $600 billion by 2025.
Develop strategies for all sectors, including food, energy, transport, and waste that mobilize nature-based solutions, and engage Indigenous peoples and local communities.
President Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act into law.
© Justin Jin / WWF France