Biden Brings World Leaders Together At Climate Summit
What a difference an administration makes! Almost 200 countries ratified the Paris climate accord at COP21 in 2015, agreeing to limit the planet’s temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Afterward, President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris agreement. On Friday, US President Joe Biden hosted a virtual climate summit titled the “Virtual Meeting of the Major Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.”
Biden spoke about the “urgency of this moment” and the need for a collective “plan to contribute to the climate ambition the world so urgently needs.”
The Power of Story to Make the Climate Crisis Relevant
Former President Donald Trump denied that the climate crisis was a reality, attacked the value of clean energy, and fired scientists in federal departments in favor of installing political friends. Taking a completely different approach, President Biden has acknowledged scientific consensus that the climate crisis poses an existential threat and implored leaders during Friday’s climate summit to take action.
During opening remarks, the President affirmed his promise that the US “would return immediately to the world stage and address the climate crisis.” With some of the most powerful economic forces in the world surrounding him, Biden expressed hope in a “silver lining” — one that would restrict global temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels through “real and incredible economic opportunities to create jobs and lift up the standard of living of people around the world.” The public opening to the Forum was a counterpoint to the otherwise private talks.
Always forthright, Biden told his audience that countries representing the Major Economies Forum account for 80% of global emissions.
The backdrop stage set was specially designed with virtual solar panel arrays as the global leaders were visible on thumbnail screens. Biden called upon the power of story and described the “damage and destruction” in the US and the destructive flooding in Europe. He zoomed in on the experience of seeing California firefighters battling powerful, widespread, and deadly wildfires more than ever before due to rising temperatures and unrelenting drought. He spoke how natural disasters like numerous hurricanes have wreaked havoc on US regions from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast.
Pledges to Do More to Mitigate the Effects of the Climate Crisis
The Biden administration has pledged to cut emissions 50% to 52% below 2005 levels by 2030 and is working to pass historic investments — to modernize what can become a more climate-resilient infrastructure and to build a clean energy future. In doing so, the administration hopes to create millions of jobs and usher in new industries of the future.
To reach such levels, Biden said the US would:
- have a power sector free of carbon by 2035;
- sell 50% of total cars as electric by 2050;
- align efforts with the work of forums like Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation (which the US will chair next year);
- focus on ocean initiatives in advance of the Our Ocean Conference in February;
- convene a leaders-level gathering to take stock of the collective progress the countries in attendance make; and,
- work with the European Union and other partners to launch a Global Methane Pledge to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.
Specifically, Biden’s prodding at the Forum for participants to join a global pledge of cutting methane (aka “natural gas”) was deconstructed recently by CleanTechnica‘s Joe Wachunas. “Burning methane is currently responsible for nearly 25% of all carbon emissions in the US, and its use is growing,” Wachunas began. “Methane is also deeply embedded in many of our homes, and this will make it a challenge to extricate. We aren’t anywhere near hitting peak natural gas usage on our current trajectory.”
Methane is one of the most potent agents of climate damage, bursting by the ton from countless uncapped oil and gas rigs, leaky natural gas pipelines, and other oil and gas facilities. Although methane has a shorter lifetime in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, it is, per unit, more than 20× as potent at warming the planet. During the Forum, Biden pointed to US efforts to plug leaks and cap abandoned wells as “big steps domestically to tackle these emissions.”
“Swift & Bold Action” Necessary beyond the Collegiality of the Climate Summit
It will take substantive effort to push through legislation to put into place the types of emissions levels that Biden outlined. China and India aren’t any better than the US, either, having yet to announce their new targets.
An area of contention at the Forum was pressure for the largest economies to assist less wealthy countries to transition to cleaner energy and to make sense of the changes to their countries that the climate crisis has created. In April, the Biden administration pledged to deliver $5.7 billion annually to these countries by 2024. During today’s Forum, Biden increased that amount by pointing to a “collective goal of mobilizing $100 billion a year.”
During a letter sent earlier this month to the climate summit’s invited guests, Biden offered the opportunity for “a focused, private discussion” to address the “profound generational challenge” posed by the climate crisis. Not to be deterred by the enormous task, Biden affirmed that the world’s largest economies possessed an “extraordinary opportunity to create a more prosperous and sustainable economy benefitting all.” Ever the negotiator and compromiser, Biden used the imperative of strengthening climate efforts so that action might be “swift and bold enough” to make a lasting impact that would “benefit […] both present and future generations.”
The invitation to Argentinian President Fernandez was posted on that country’s website.
Final Thoughts about the Climate Summit & What’s Ahead
From October 31 to November 1, the United Nations conference in Glasgow — the COP26 summit — will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Nearly 200 nations are expected to announce more ambitious emissions-cutting targets than they had previously set in order to keep the world from overheating.
“Glasgow,” President Biden told his audience at the Forum, “is not our final destination.” Instead, countries around the world must “continue strengthening our ambition and our actions next year and throughout the decisive decade to keep us at one point — below 1.5 degrees and to keep that within reach.”
Participants at Friday’s climate summit included:
President Alberto Fernandez, Argentine Republic
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Commonwealth of Australia
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, People’s Republic of Bangladesh
President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission
President Charles Michel, European Council
President Joko Widodo, Republic of Indonesia
Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italian Republic
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Japan
President Moon Jae-in, Republic of Korea
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, United Mexican States
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Secretary-General António Guterres, United Nations
Special Envoy of the President and China Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua, People’s Republic of China
Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Federal Republic of Germany
Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, India
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change Ruslan Edelgeriyev, Russian Federation
Image screenshot taken from YouTube during Presidential welcome remarks
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No matter how badly a fleet wants to electrify their operations and take advantage of reduced fuel costs and TCO, the fact remains that there are substantial up-front obstacles to commercial EV adoption … or are there? We’ve got fleet financing expert Guy O’Brien here to help walk us through it on today’s fiscally responsible episode of Quick Charge!
This conversation was motivated by the recent uncertainty surrounding EVs and EV infrastructure at the Federal level, and how that turmoil is leading some to believe they should wait to electrify. The truth? There’s never been a better time to make the switch!
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Vermont’s EV adoption has surged by an impressive 41% over the past year, with nearly 18,000 EVs now registered statewide.
According to data from Drive Electric Vermont and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, 17,939 EVs were registered as of January 2025, increasing by 5,185 vehicles. Notably, over 12% of all new cars registered last year in Vermont had a plug. Additionally, used EVs are gaining popularity, accounting for about 15% of new EV registrations.
To put it in perspective, Vermont took six years to register its first 5,000 EVs – and the last 5,000 were added in just the previous year.
Rapid growth, expanding infrastructure
In just two years, Vermont has doubled its fleet of EVs, underscoring residents’ enthusiasm for electric driving. To support this surge, the state now boasts 459 public EV chargers, including 92 DC fast chargers.
The EV mix in Vermont is leaning increasingly toward BEVs, which represent 60% of the state’s EV fleet. The remaining 40% consists of PHEVs, offering flexible fuel options for drivers.
Top EV models in Vermont
Vermont’s favorite EVs in late 2024 included the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Nissan Ariya, Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV, Tesla Model Y, and the Ford F-150 Lightning. These vehicles have appealed to Vermont drivers looking for reliability, performance, and practical features that work well in Vermont’s climate.
Leading the US in reducing emissions
This strong adoption of EVs earned Vermont the top ranking from the Natural Resources Defense Council for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transportation in 2023. “It’s only getting easier for Vermonters to drive electric,” noted Michele Boomhower, Vermont’s Department of Transportation director. She emphasized the growing variety of EV models, including electric trucks and SUVs with essential features like all-wheel drive, crucial for Vermont’s climate and terrain.
Local dealerships boost EV accessibility
Nucar Automall, an auto dealer in St. Albans, is a great example of local support driving this trend. With help from Efficiency Vermont’s EV dealer incentives – receiving $25,000 through the EV Readiness Incentive program – it recently installed 15 EV chargers for new buyers and existing drivers to use.
“Having these chargers on the lot makes it easier for customers to see just how simple charging an EV can be,” said Ryan Ortiz, general manager at Nucar Automall. Ortiz also pointed out the growing affordability of EVs, thanks to more models becoming available and an increase in pre-owned EVs coming off leases.
Read more: Vermont becomes the first US state to pass a law requiring Big Oil to pay for climate damage
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Elon Musk said Tesla’s self-driving will start contributing to the company’s profits… wait for it… “next year” with “millions of Tesla robotaxis in operation during the second half of the year.”
The claim has become a running joke, as he has made it for the last decade.
During Tesla’s conference call following the release of its Q1 2025 financial results, Musk updated shareholders about Tesla’s self-driving plans, which he again presented as critical to the company’s future.
He made a series of claims, mainly updating timelines about Tesla’s self-driving efforts.
Here are the main comments:
- The CEO reiterated that Tesla will launch its paid autonomous ride-sharing service in Austin in June.
- He did clarify that the fleet will consist of Model Y vehicles and not the new Cybercab.
- Musk also confirmed that Tesla is currently training a fleet specifically for Austin.
- As we previously reported, this internal ride-hailing fleet operating in a geo-fenced with teleoperation assist is a big change from Tesla’s approach.
- Musk said “10 to 20 vehicles” on day one.
- Musk said that Tesla’s self-driving will start contributing positively to the company financially in the middle of next year, and “There will be millions of Teslas operating autonomously in the second half of next year.”
- Musk has literally said something similar every year for the past decade and therefore, it’s hard to take him seriously.
- The CEO claimed that Tesla would get “a 90-something percentage market share” in the autonomous market.
- Musk again claimed that no one else is getting close to Tesla’s capacity, and he criticized Waymo for being too expensive.
- Musk is “confident” that the first Model Y will drive itself from the factory to a customer’s home later this year.
- The CEO said that he is confident that Tesla will deliver “unsupervised full self-driving” in consumer vehicles by the end of the year.
Despite Tesla missing earnings expectations by a wide margin, the company’s stock rose 4% in after-hours trading following Musk’s comments, indicating that shareholders still believe Musk’s self-driving predictions, despite his predictions having been incorrect for almost a decade.
Electrek’s Take
The first point I believe will happen. Tesla needs it to happen. It badly needs a win on the self-driving front.
However, as we previously explained, while Tesla will claim a win in June, it will be with a limited geo-fenced and teleoperation-assisted system that won’t scale to customer vehicles, which is what has been promised for years.
Tesla was even asked how it plans to launch this in Austin in June, when FSD in consumer vehicles currently requires frequent interventions from drivers, and Ashok, Tesla’s head of autonomous driving, admitted his team is currently focused on solving the intervention specifically related to driving in Austin.
With training on specific Austin routes and using teleoperations, Tesla can make that happen, but the road between that and unsupervised self-driving in consumer vehicles and “million of Tesla robotaxis” in the second of next year is a long one.
Basically, other than the first point, I believe Tesla will not achieve any of the other on anything close to the timelines announced by Musk today.
I’m willing to take bets on that.
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