No going back: GOP plan to repeal Inflation Reduction Act could lock in dangerous global heating
Republicans in Congress are moving to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy incentives, a shift scientists warn would drive up emissions and make climate extremes more likely by the end of the century.
Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to repeal clean energy tax credits from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, preserving only limited support for nuclear and geothermal energy while expanding fossil fuel subsidies.
- Scientists say repealing the law would make it far more likely that global temperatures rise by 3 degrees Celsius, well beyond the 1.5-degree threshold that has already produced deadly heatwaves, fires, and storms.
- Economists warn the rollback would kill hundreds of thousands of clean energy jobs and derail more than $500 billion in planned investments, much of it in Republican-led states.
Key quote:
“We’re dismantling substantial portions of the most important climate policy the U.S. has ever passed.”
— Jesse Jenkins, associate professor of energy systems engineering and policy at Princeton University
Why this matters:
The rollback of U.S. climate policy comes amid accelerating signs that global heating is worsening. Last year marked the first full calendar year with average global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. Scientists warn that pushing past 2°C, let alone 3°C, could sharply increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, crop failures, and sea-level rise, while disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities. While China currently emits more greenhouse gases, the United States is historically the largest contributor. Its choices carry outsize influence on the scale of climate impacts, as well as on global climate policy, innovation, and markets. Reversing course on clean energy could ripple far beyond domestic politics.
Related: Clean energy factories bring jobs and billions to red states as tax credits face cuts
