The United States is planning to put forward a new commitment to the Paris Agreement – a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). This report recommends that the Biden administration put forward an NDC that cuts emissions by at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, noting that this target is consistent with the science, President Biden’s goal of a net-zero economy by 2050, and commitments of other advanced economies, and one already called for by many state leaders and businesses.

Using a range of analyses, this report demonstrates how achieving at least 50 percent reductions is achievable – and why charting an ambitious path on climate is vital for growing a stronger and more equitable, clean U.S. economy. Specifically, it recommends that an array of policy tools should be harnessed, including:

• Advancing a suite of robust climate and clean air protections under existing law targeting the power and transportation sectors, as well as methane emissions from oil and gas.
• Directing significant economic recovery dollars towards accelerated deployment of clean electricity and electric vehicles.
• Enacting new legislation that limits pollution from the power sector, such as a clean electricity standard;
• Increasing federal investment in innovation and deployment of promising emerging technologies.
• Continued action and leadership from states, cities, and businesses.

The analyses also underscore the importance of early action in this decade. In addition to cutting long-lived climate pollutants like carbon emissions, the report highlights the impotance of swiftly curbing short-lived climate pollutants, such as methane, that can significantly slow down the rate of warming in the near-term. It recommends that, as a component of the new NDC, the United States should put forward an explicit commitment to reduce methane emissions economy-wide by 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.