| | | | | | | Presented By ExxonMobil | | | | Generate | | By Ben Geman ·Jan 20, 2021 | | Good morning. Today's Smart Brevity count: 1,333 words, 5 minutes. 🎶And this weekend marks the 1972 release date of the late Aretha Franklin's album "Young, Gifted and Black," which provides today's intro tune... | | | | | | 1 big thing: Biden's plan to upend Trump's legacy comes into focus |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images | | | | President-elect Joe Biden will on Wednesday order a government-wide review of over 100 Trump-era policies and direct agencies to prepare a suite of emissions and energy efficiency rules. Why it matters: New information from transition officials offers the full scope of Biden's imminent, Inauguration Day burst of environmental and energy policy moves. - They'll begin what will be a yearslong, politically and legally fraught process to both reverse Trump's policies and implement Biden's own agenda.
What's new per Biden's team: An executive order coming Wednesday will include: - Ordering "all" departments and agencies to "take appropriate action" against all Trump-era rules and policies that Biden officials deem harmful to public health or the environment.
- Telling agencies to begin weighing tougher methane emissions rules, vehicle CO2 emissions and mileage standards, and appliance and building efficiency standards.
- Reviving an interagency working group on the "social cost" of greenhouse gas emissions and direct issuance of an "interim" cost. (The social cost is a metric that regulators use to assess the monetary impact of emissions increases.)
- Reviewing Trump-era decisions that reduced the size of protected areas including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.
- Biden's orders also direct agencies to review and revise policies that are "counter to his commitment to environmental justice," a transition summary notes, referring to the greater pollution burdens often faced by the poor and communities of color.
Catch up quick: These steps come on top of previously reported Inauguration Day plans to rejoin the Paris climate deal and yank the Keystone XL pipeline permit. How it works: Biden officials released a separate list of over 100 Trump-era policies that the incoming administration plans to review and upend, including... - EPA decisions on fine particulate and ozone pollution, the scope of the Clean Water Act, carbon emissions from power plants and more.
- Energy Department efficiency standards and policies for buildings, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, electric motors and more.
- Interior Department rules in areas like migratory bird protections and offshore drilling safety, to name a couple.
What we don't know: Biden's exact strategy for thwarting development in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which was opened to oil-and-gas leasing under a GOP-crafted law in 2017. The imminent order will place a "temporary moratorium" on leasing activities, per the summary from the transition team. Reality check: As we pointed out Tuesday, some executive orders and directives have instant impacts. But often they're akin to firing a starting gun that directs agencies to begin what's a time-consuming, often litigated bureaucratic process to make real policy changes. |     | | | | | | 2. Yellen's plan and EPA's clean slate | | Giphy Janet Yellen, Biden's nominee for Treasury secretary, told a Senate panel yesterday she would appoint a senior-level Treasury official to oversee efforts related to climate change. Driving the news: She noted the need for a focus on climate change's risks to the financial system, Axios' Courtenay Brown reports in her dispatch from Yellen's Finance Committee nomination hearing. And per Politico, Yellen said she'd launch a new Treasury "hub" to examine those risks and related tax policy incentives. Why it matters: It's a sign of how the new administration is looking to stitch climate work into the fabric of many agencies. - Yellen called climate change a crucial topic and vowed that the department would be active.
- "Treasury will cooperate by looking at ways we can direct investment, enable private firms to have the information they need to support sustainable investing," she said.
* * * ICYMI, a federal appeals court yesterday vacated EPA carbon emissions regulations for coal-fired power plants, a victory for opponents of the Trump administration policy who criticized the rule as too weak. Why it matters: The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will remove one hurdle for the incoming Biden administration as it seeks to implement more aggressive policies. Yes, but: While the appellate decision gives Biden more immediate running room, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court could ultimately thwart expansive use of Clean Air Act powers. Go deeper | | | | | | | | 3. A split-screen on climate greets Biden |  Data: Morning Consult; Chart: Axios Visuals Several new polls help to show where the public's at on energy and climate as Biden takes office. Why it matters: People tend to favor emissions-cutting and low-carbon energy initiatives, but it's hardly top of mind. Driving the news: A new Morning Consult poll showed registered voters' support Biden taking steps including... - Rejoining the Paris deal (56% support vs. 25% in opposition).
- Requiring public companies to disclose emissions and climate risk info (63% support vs. 19% in opposition).
- Imposing methane emissions limits on oil-and-gas operations (55% support vs. 23% in opposition).
- Big public investments in electric vehicle charging (54% support vs. 24% in opposition).
Separately, the New York Times reports on post-election polling from Yale and George Mason universities. - "66 percent said that developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority," the NYT reports.
- Eight in 10 people back tax breaks for people who buy solar panels or electric cars.
- The same share back a program that would hire out-of-work coal miners to shut down old mines safely and restore the landscape.
But, but, but: Climate and energy policy are not at the top of poll respondents' list of concerns and interests. The chart above shows Morning Consult findings there. - New Associated Press polling shows that 68% of adults named the economy as one of the top five things they want the government to work on.
- In the open-ended questioning, 24% listed climate change — well behind health care and the pandemic.
- CBS News polling released Saturday found that 4% of adults said climate should be Biden's top priority.
- They were given a menu that also included the economy, the pandemic, political divisions, health care, race relations and illegal immigration.
Quick take: With economic concerns paramount, look for Biden officials to keep promoting their agenda as a way to create jobs in low-carbon sectors. | | | | | | | | A message from ExxonMobil | | ExxonMobil sets emission reduction plans for 2025 | | |  | | | | As part of our ongoing commitment to help mitigate the risks of climate change, we've announced plans to further reduce emissions in our operations by 2025. It's something we're working on every day. Learn more about our plan to reduce our emissions. | | | | | | 4. Electric vehicle notes: Mercedes and Rivian |  | | | Rivian R1T pickup truck. Photo: Rivian | | | | Money: Electric vehicle startup Rivian has raised another $2.65 billion as it builds momentum toward this year's launch of its first pickup truck, SUV and Amazon delivery vehicles. (Axios) Reveals: "Mercedes-Benz threw back the curtain on the EQA crossover, its latest electric vehicle as part of a slate of new EVs that are being planned for the coming years. The compact SUV will have a range of less than 300 miles, a 66.5kWh battery pack, and a net list price of €39,950 ($48,442). (The Verge) | | | | | | | | 5. K Street's shifting climate landscape | | The powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced support for "market-based" climate policy, a phrase that typically refers to carbon taxes or emissions trading (though their statement doesn't offer a definition). Why it matters: Via Bloomberg, yesterday's update to their posture is the "latest shift by the nation's biggest business lobbying group as it pivots to a Washington dominated by Democrats." What they're saying: "I think we're fairly aligned with the Chamber on this," Mike Sommers, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, tells Axios' Amy Harder. "We support market-based approaches to tackling climate change." The Washington Examiner reported last week that API is inching closer to support for CO2 pricing but isn't ready to endorse it outright. Yes, but: The Chamber's statement also says, "durable climate policy must be made by Congress." But don't look for a grand Beltway bargain on climate policy anytime soon. Taxes and emissions trading proposals don't have much political buy-in right now. - There's still very widespread GOP resistance and we'll have to see if the K Street positions change any minds.
- Democrats aren't ruling them out. But they're putting more emphasis on executive regulations combined with winning congressional approval for big spending increases on low-carbon infrastructure and funding to research and deploy emerging tech.
Of note: "The [Chamber] is also preparing to announce its support for using federal regulations to directly limit oil and gas industry emissions of methane," Bloomberg notes. | | | | | | | | 6. Number of the day: 75% | | Axios' Amy Harder reports...That's the share of modeled scenarios that MIT experts found where online shopping is more sustainable than brick and mortar, per a recently released report. Why it matters: Many of us are now buying things online at a faster pace than ever before due to the pandemic. This type of habit is likely to stick around long after the pandemic lessens. How it works: The study analyzed various scenarios, including electrified transportation and drastically limiting the number of boxes used. That latter scenario —using far fewer boxes — produced the biggest benefit, with 36% fewer emissions compared to traditional in-person shopping. | | | | | | | | A message from ExxonMobil | | ExxonMobil sets emission reduction plans for 2025 | | |  | | | | As part of our ongoing commitment to help mitigate the risks of climate change, we've announced plans to further reduce emissions in our operations by 2025. It's something we're working on every day. Learn more about our plan to reduce our emissions. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters.
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