Reports suggest former Environmental Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy is set to be appointed as domestic climate czar
US President-elect Joe Biden is reportedly poised to announce a fresh wave of senior appointments designed to further bolster his pledge to make climate action a top priority for the in-coming administration.
According to multiple reports yesterday, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration, Gina McCarthy, is being tapped to step into a new role co-ordinating domestic climate policy.
The domestic 'climate czar' would work alongside John Kerry, who was appointed last month as Biden's Climate Envoy and will lead US climate diplomacy efforts overseas.
As White House Climate Policy Coordinator, McCarthy would help drive a "whole of government approach" to US climate action in support of Biden's flagship goal to put the country on track to deliver net zero emissions by 2050.
The appointment would likely be warmly welcomed by green groups, given McCarthy's track record pushing through some of President Obama's most ambitious climate regulations during her time at the EPA. Earlier this year, she was appointed as chief executive of the influential Natural Resources Defense Council and has led a series of challenges to the Trump administration's attempts to roll back environmental regulations.
The new role would not require Senate confirmation and as such McCarthy is expected to lead an early push to reinstate regulations scrapped by the Trump administration and ensure low carbon infrastructure is at the heart of any new economic package.
According to The Washington Post, New York's deputy secretary for energy and environment, Ali Zaidi, is tipped to be appointed as McCarthy's deputy.
Meanwhile, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is widely reported to be Biden's first choice for Energy secretary, with sources indicating the incoming administration is keen to tap her experience establishing the state as a clean energy hub.
The move would be seen as something of a victory for environmental justice campaigners on the left of the Democratic Party, who had responded angrily to reports Biden was considering former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz for the role, arguing his support for an 'all of the above' energy strategy was insufficiently ambitious.
In addition, Biden yesterday confirmed his former rival for the Presidential nomination, Pete Buttigieg, as nominee for the post of Transportation Secretary.
"I am nominating him for secretary of transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us," Biden said. "Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better."
The latest appointments further underscore Biden's desire to place climate action at the heart of his administration, with many of his nominees boasting a long track record of advocating for bolder climate policies.
However, there was further evidence of the repair job required of the Biden administration this week, as the outgoing Trump administration finalised its rollback of energy efficiency standards for showerheads, washers, and driers.
"Today the Trump Administration affirmed its commitment to reducing regulatory burdens and safeguarding consumer choice," Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said in a statement. "With these rule changes, Americans can choose products that are best suited to meet their individual needs and the needs of their families."
The moves were slammed by environmental and consumer groups, who branded them unnecessary, costly, and environmentally damaging.
"It's ridiculous for the Department of Energy to call these 'quality of life' improvements when they'll actually harm America's quality of life by needlessly increasing consumer water and energy bills and climate-warming carbon pollution while exacerbating water shortages," the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement. "These actions reverse decades of progress in increasing the efficiency of America's washers and dryers and showerheads. It's outrageous that DOE is finalising these rules while ignoring legal deadlines for reviewing and updating energy-saving standards for 25 other types of appliances and equipment in US homes and businesses."
Meanwhile, reports suggested the Trump administration will today formally put forward a draft finding that a seismic testing plan would not have a new, significant impact on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), clearing another hurdle that could allow for controversial oil and gas drilling projects in the region.