How does Biden’s Plan Compare to the Green New Deal?
Joe Biden at the Climate Leaders Summit in 2015. Source.
The issue of climate change was given a brief nod during the two 2020 presidential debates, though anyone looking for substantive answers or detailed plans was surely disappointed. Both Trump and Biden dodged direct questions dealing with fracking, fossil fuels, and the role of climate science. The differences between the two candidates on these issues are profound and have been the focus of many political jabs. Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that he will be a president who “believes in science” and that he will actually listen to what scientists tell him, unlike President Trump. At his MAGA rallies, the President has repeatedly assured his supporters that Biden supports the “radical, job-killing, Green New Deal.” Is this really the case?
With regards to the Green New Deal set before congress by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez last year, Vice President Biden’s plan to address climate change states: “the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face. It powerfully captures two basic truths, which are at the core of [Biden’s] plan: (1) the United States urgently needs to embrace greater ambition on an epic scale to meet the scope of this challenge, and (2) our environment and our economy are completely and totally connected.” The “Biden Plan” is not an exact match to the Green New Deal, although the two plans share some similarities.
Both the Biden Plan and Green New Deal focus on the environment and jobs. Biden has committed to create millions of jobs in renewable energy, the auto industry, and infrastructure, while the Green New Deal goes further by guaranteeing a job with a sustainable wage and benefits for all Americans. Refitting American infrastructure to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century and directing spending to disadvantaged communities is another hallmark of both plans.
It is difficult to compare the two plans however because the Biden Plan is much more limited in scope to the Green New Deal. The first major difference between the two plans is the cost. Biden’s plan has an estimated price tag of $2 trillion over four years while some have estimated the Green New Deal to cost tens of trillions of dollars over ten years. Secondly, the plans diverge on carbon emissions. Biden’s plan calls for a carbon pollution-free national power sector by 2035, while the Green New Deal lays out a ten year mobilization to create "100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources."
Although Vice President Biden’s climate plan is not an exact replica of the Green New Deal, the belief that he supports the ultra-progressive plan may be cemented in many voters. It is always vitally important, although especially in this election, to do your own research before you go to the polls to combat misinformation and make informed decisions about the candidates.
Visit the candidates websites, read their plans, and vote.