The U.S. is now officially back in the Paris Agreement. Messages coming from the government on climate change are strongly worded, but it’s still early days in terms of tangible actions. As The New York Times noted, “There are two immediate signals to watch for. First, how ambitious will the Biden administration be in its emissions reductions targets?” and, “…how much money will the United States provide to help poor countries adapt to the calamities of global warming and shift their economies away from fossil fuels?”¹

On April 22^nd, Earth Day, President Biden will hold a “Climate Summit,” which should give some insights into these questions. In the meantime, domestic climate adviser, Gina McCarthy “has pledged “the most aggressive” carbon cut the U.S. can make.”²

The White House is also working to determine the “social cost of carbon,” or SCC, which “would be considered in every rule, regulation and policy enacted as part of President Joe Biden’s “whole-of-government” approach to tackling climate change.”³ Carbon costs in other countries are running between $20-$100 per ton. Following the same method as the Obama administration could result in a cost of $125 per ton, the same value New York State recently announced as its carbon value.