Biden pledges U.S. net zero emissions by 2050

Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden during a campaign rally at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia, Saturday, May 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden during a campaign rally at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia, Saturday, May 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Photo: Matt Rourke, STF / Associated Press Photo: Matt Rourke, STF / Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Biden pledges U.S. net zero emissions by 2050 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden said Tuesday that if elected president he would set the United States on the path to get to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in three decades.

The announcement brings Biden up to speed with the majority of Democratic candidates running for president, as climate change gains increasing momentum among both parties ahead of the 2020 election.

In a video on his campaign website Biden cited the recent bout of severe storms, worsening droughts and coastal flooding as evidence the effects of climate change are, "already happening."

"Science tells us how we act or fail to act in the next 12 years will determine the very livability our planet," he said. "Yet President Trump denies the evidence in front of his own eyes."

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Biden's plan calls for a $1.7 trillion investment by the federal government in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, paid for by an overhaul of the tax code that would raise taxes on corporations, cut loopholes and eliminate subsidies for fossil fuel production.

If elected, the former vice president and Democratic front-runner says he will create an enforcement mechanism by the end of his first term to make sure the United States meets its emission reduction goals.

Environmentalists had been wary of Biden, who up until now had been relatively quiet on the topic of climate change. But on Tuesday environmental groups cheered his proposal and pledge not to accept any campaign donations from oil, natural gas and coal companies and their executives.

"We applaud Vice President Biden for putting forward a strong plan and powerful video about the urgent need to combat the climate crisis," Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of government affairs at the League of Conservation Voters, said in a statement. "All candidates who are serious about becoming our next president must put forward a bold vision to address this crisis."

The question of what to do about the hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers employed in industries that produce and burn fossil fuels has hung over Democrats' pledges on climate change for years.

Biden pledged Tuesday to "fulfill our obligation" to those workers.

"This is support they've earned for fueling our country's industrial revolution and decades of economic growth. We're not going to leave any workers or communities behind," his campaign plan read.