President Biden has left the country his public schedule and mine will not link up while he’s away…
President Biden’s Public Schedule for Veterans Day Friday:
| 8:20 AM | The President arrives in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (3:20 PM Local) Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt Out-of-Town Pool |
| 8:55 AM | The President holds a bilateral meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt (3:55 PM Local) Tonino Lamborghini International Convention Center, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt Out-of-Town Pool Spray |
| 10:15 AM | The President delivers remarks at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) (5:15 PM Local) Tonino Lamborghini International Convention Center, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt Out-of-Town Pool Spray |
| 11:20 AM | The President departs Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt en route to Phnom Penh, Cambodia (6:20 PM Local) Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt Out-of-Town Pool |
| 1:20 PM | Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route Phnom Penh, Cambodia (8:20 PM Local – Estimated) Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt Out-of-Town Pool |
The White House posted the following fact-sheet; President Biden Announces New Initiatives at COP27 to Strengthen U.S. Leadership in Tackling Climate Change
Today at the 27th U.N. Climate Conference (COP27), President Biden will announce new initiatives to strengthen U.S. leadership tackling the climate crisis and galvanize global action and commitments. President Biden will demonstrate that the United States is following through on its existing commitments and initiatives while also accelerating new and expanded domestic and global efforts. As President Biden said at last year’s COP in Glasgow, this is a decisive decade – and the United States is acting to lead a clean energy future that leverages market forces, technological innovation, and investments to tackle the climate crisis. The initiatives the President is announcing today also reflect the global imperative to support vulnerable developing country partners in building resilience to a changing climate, helping them cope with a problem they did not create.
White House.gov. 11/11/2022.
In less than 18 months, President Biden has renewed United States leadership in the fight against climate change. The President is delivering on his Day One promises, positioning the United States to achieve our ambitious climate goals. President Biden has spearheaded the most significant domestic climate action in U.S. history, including passing the historic Inflation Reduction Act, signing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, spurring a new era of clean American manufacturing, enhancing energy security at home and abroad, and driving down the costs of clean energy for consumers in the U.S. and around the world.
These efforts reflect President Biden’s belief that climate security, energy security, food security, and water security go hand-in-hand. As Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine disrupts energy markets, strains economies with rising prices, and threatens vulnerable countries with severe food shortages, efforts to accelerate climate action, growing clean energy economies, climate smart agriculture, and global resilience have become all the more urgent.
The initiatives the President is announcing and that the U.S. delegation will highlight throughout COP27 include:
- Bolstering Global Climate Resilience – including doubling the U.S. pledge to the Adaptation Fund to $100 million and announcing over $150 million in new support to accelerate the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) efforts across Africa. These build on the over $20 million that President Biden has announced this year to accelerate PREPARE’s work in Small Island Developing States.
- Accelerating Global Climate Action – including launching a new initiative to support Egypt in deploying 10 GW of new wind and solar energy while decommissioning five GW of inefficient natural gas generation, strengthening proposed domestic methane regulations in the oil and gas sector that would reduce U.S. methane from covered sources by 87 percent below 2005 levels as well as other domestic and international action to tackle methane emissions and advance the Global Methane Pledge, and announcing new actions that would make the United States the first national government to require major suppliers to set Paris Agreement-aligned emissions reduction goals – leveraging the Federal Government’s over $630 billion in annual purchasing power.
- Catalyzing Investment at The Scale Required to Tackle the Climate Crisis – including launching new and innovative approaches that strategically use public finance to unlock billions in private investment, such as the “Climate Finance +” initiative that will support developing countries in issuing green bonds; launching the Sustainable Banking Alliance to deepen developing countries’ sustainable financial markets; and making strategic investments that help to mobilize billions in private finance and facilitate the export of U.S. clean technologies.
- Engaging All of Society in Tackling the Climate Crisis – including launching a Climate Gender Equity Fund, an Indigenous Peoples Finance Access Facility, and new exchanges to empower youth across the world to be leaders on resilience and clean energy in their communities.
The comprehensive list of announcements by the U.S. delegation at COP27 includes:
BOLSTERING GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE:
President Biden announced additional efforts to further accelerate the implementation of his Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), which aims to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change this decade. These initiatives reflect the fact that a dollar invested in adaptation can result in $4-10 or more in benefits. These additional efforts, as well as those announced by the United States during COP27, subject to Congressional notification and the completion of domestic procedures, include:
White House.gov. 11/11/2022.
- Doubling Our Pledge to the Adaptation Fund to $100 million – In Glasgow, we announced our intent to make our first-ever contribution to the Adaptation Fund through an initial pledge of $50 million. Today, President Biden announced that the United States will double this multi-year pledge to $100 million.
- Accelerating Adaptation in Africa – President Biden announced over $150 million to accelerate PREPARE’s work across the continent, in support of the Adaptation in Africa initiative he and President El-Sisi announced in June. This includes U.S. support for:
- Expanding access to early-warning systems for all of Africa – According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, better early-warning systems and adaptation can cut the number of people who need emergency assistance in half by 2030 — and from 200 million to just 10 million by 2050. Today, President Biden announced new U.S. support to accelerate these efforts, including through a $13.6 million contribution to the Systematic Observations Financing Facility that will help fill weather, water, and climate observation gaps in Africa. The United States will also invest $15 million to support the co-development and deployment of early-warning systems in Africa, leveraging the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s long-standing relationships with national and regional weather services across Africa. Our scientists and emergency preparedness experts will work side by side with African partners to bring early warnings to Africa and support communities, leaders, businesses, and people in applying this information to reduce impacts and save lives.
- Building the capacity of African decision makers of today and tomorrow to accelerate adaptation across the continent for years to come – This includes contributing $10 million to support the launch of a new adaptation center in Egypt – the Cairo Center for Learning and Excellence on Adaptation and Resilience, announced by Egypt, which will build adaptation capacity across the African continent. As part of our support for the Cairo Center, we are also working with African universities and central ministries to raise awareness of climate risk and strengthen capacity to apply adaptation solutions to manage those risks, especially when it comes to fiscal policy, budgeting and planning. The United States is contributing an additional $2 million to the Resilience and Adaptation Mainstreaming Program to build the capacity of governments to manage climate risks and access finance.
- Supporting locally-led efforts to adapt to climate impacts – This includes an additional $3.5 million in support for the Least Developed Countries Initiative for Effective Adaptation & Resilience, which is helping African countries like Uganda, Malawi, Gambia, and Burkina Faso to enhance access to adaptation finance for the most vulnerable.
- Expanding access to risk-based insurance for the most vulnerable – This includes working with multilateral development banks and supporting the G7 Global Shield against Climate Risks to protect vulnerable people — in Africa as well as the Caribbean, Central America, and the Pacific. In this context, the United States is enhancing its support for regional risk insurance pools, including contributing $12 million to the Africa Disaster Risk Financing Program and $12 million to ARC Ltd, helping countries cope with extreme weather events, food insecurity, and other issues exacerbated by climate change.
- Mobilizing the private sector for adaptation and resilience – – The United States is contributing an additional $25 million to the African Union’s flagship Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI), which is hosted by the Egyptian government, to launch the AAI Food Security Accelerator, which will dramatically speed- and scale-up private sector investments in climate resilient food security in Africa. With U.S. support, the Accelerator will help identify, structure and de-risk a pipeline of transformative adaptation investments in food security, helping to unlock private capital that is already standing ready to invest in these innovative solutions, ranging from cold storage logistics to climate resilient agriculture and post harvesting processes. The United State is also launching a Call to Action to the private sector to tap into their ability to develop innovative adaptation solutions in ways that the public sector cannot, providing an additional $3.8 million to CRAFT TA Facility, and $2 million to launch an adaptation window of the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance to help develop new financial instruments and mechanisms to harness private investment in adaptation.
- Further supporting climate smart food systems in Africa – This includes helping countries and communities to adapt their food systems to climate impacts, through at least $100 million in adaptation funding in FY 2022. USAID also invested more than $300 million in Resilient Food Security Activities in FY 2022 across Africa that supports agricultural development and food security. This year, Feed the Future expanded to eight additional African countries, the new Global Food Security Strategy further elevated inclusive and climate-resilient food systems, and climate information services work was expanded. These efforts are yielding results. For example, in 2022 in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, climate-resilient maize varieties were planted on seven million hectares across 13 African countries. These heat, drought, and flood resistant maize varieties provided a 25% yield advantage, benefiting more than 44 million people.
- Advancing Climate Security Through Sahel-Climate Advocacy and Peacebuilding with Pastoralists – This initiative aims to reduce the risk of farmer-herder climate change-related conflict in communities spanning the border of Niger and Benin by concurrently increasing herders’ access to political participation in local and national government and improving herders’ and farmers’ access to climate forecasts of rainfall, droughts, and other environmental factors.
- Accelerating Adaptation in SIDS – The United States has also announced over $20 million to accelerate PREPARE’s work in SIDS. This includes:
- Expanding early-warning systems in the Pacific SIDS – This includes $15 million to increase the capacity of developing countries to understand, anticipate and prepare for climate impacts to public health and safety, food security, water resources, and coastal areas, which President Biden announced at the historic U.S.- Pacific Island Leaders Summit. NOAA will also provide university scholarships to five individuals from the region to communication increase the pipeline of qualified forecasters able to deliver climate-smart decision support. Additionally, NOAA will install roughly 20 satellite units across the region ensuring these forecasts and products reach the last mile.
- Supporting climate resilience and sustainable development in SIDS through the Local2030 Islands Network – This includes advancing island-led resilience through engagement and technical support through the Network, which currently includes 20 island economies representing diverse geographical regions across the globe, with the largest concentration of members currently in the Pacific and Caribbean. NOAA will expand its support for the Network to foster peer-to-peer learning opportunities, such as communities-of-practice, and support capacity-building activities, including training, research, extension and engagement, leveraging $4.5 million in new funding.
- Supporting storm surge mapping – Starting with the Federated States of Micronesia, NOAA and USAID will develop storm surge risk maps to improve understanding of storm surge flooding vulnerability from landfalling tropical cyclones, providing critical information to save lives and avoid climate impacts.
- Supporting Climate Affected Vulnerable Migrants – The United States announced a contribution of $5 million to the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund to support climate-affected vulnerable migrants. This program underscores our commitment to the vision of the Global Compact for Migration, including improving cooperation on international migration. It also advances the Biden Administration’s climate strategy, reflected in the 2021 White House Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration, to address the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations across the globe.
ACCELERATING GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION:
President Biden believes that tackling the climate crisis and keeping the 1.5-degree C temperature goal within reach requires “all hands on deck” – demanding the mobilization of local, state, and national governments, the private sector, and philanthropies. At COP27, President Biden and his Administration announced new initiatives to advance this objective, including:
White House.gov. 11/11/2022.
- Accelerating Egypt’s Clean Energy Economy, Enhancing Climate Ambition, and Supporting Energy Security – Germany and the United States announced over $250 million in resources to unlock $10 billion in commercial investment to support Egypt’s clean energy economy. The program will deploy 10 GW of new wind and solar energy while decommissioning five GW of inefficient natural gas generation. This program, coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, will support Egypt’s Country Platform for the Nexus of Food, Water, and Energy (NWFE). Egypt committed to enhance its Nationally Determined Contribution to incorporate a commitment to quadruple its installed renewables capacity share to 42% by 2030. Egypt also committed to adopt an ambitious 2050 long-term strategy with a view to explore a net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target and kick-start the development of green hydrogen. Additionally, Egypt committed to expand the use of zero-emission vehicles, sustainable public transport, and other solutions for reducing GHG emissions from transport. The three countries committed to cooperate on reducing methane emissions from Egypt’s oil and gas sector. These commitments will yield major climate benefits by reducing Egypt’s power sector emissions by about one fifth and cutting methane pollution. They will also enhance energy security by freeing up over two billion cubic meters of gas.
- Expanding the Global Methane Pledge to Rapidly Reduce Global Temperatures While Boosting Energy Security – Reducing methane emissions is the fastest way to lower global temperatures in the near term, avoid dangerous climate tipping points, and alleviate global adaptation burdens. Limiting warming to 1.5°C will require dramatic reductions in global methane emissions of at least 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels, as called for in the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) launched by the United States and European Union at COP26. The GMP has now been endorsed by over 130 countries representing over half of global methane emissions.
The oil and gas sector represents the fastest and deepest methane emissions reductions opportunities to achieve the GMP target. Capturing flared and leaked gas in the oil and gas sector is also a critical near-term solution to boost global gas supplies and support energy security, as 260 billion cubic meters of gas are currently wasted every year from flaring and methane emissions within the sector. This is why President Biden launched the GMP Energy Pathway at the Major Economies Forum in June 2022, alongside the European Union and 11 other countries, to accelerate global reductions in fossil energy methane.
Today, President Biden announced major new U.S. actions and welcomed new international actions to rapidly reduce methane emissions, particularly in the energy sector, including:
White House.gov. 11/11/2022.
- Strengthening proposed domestic methane standards in the oil and gas sector that would reduce wasted energy and harmful emissions from covered sources by 87 percent below 2005 levels while delivering economic benefits – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is strengthening the agency’s proposed standards to cut methane and other harmful air pollutants from the oil and natural gas industry. If finalized, these standards will protect workers and communities, maintain and create high-quality, union-friendly jobs, and promote U.S. innovation and manufacturing of critical new, all while delivering significant economic benefits through increased recovery of wasted gas. The new proposal also includes a ground-breaking “Super-Emitter Response Program” that would require operators to respond to credible third-party reports of high-volume methane leaks.
- Updating the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan – Building upon the first-ever U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan released at COP26, President Biden today unveiled an updated plan showcasing enhanced ambition and progress to achieve deep methane reductions in the United States, while cutting consumer costs, spurring job creation, and securing economic gains. The plan includes more than $20 billion of new investments to reduce methane emissions from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriations. The updated plan outlines how the Administration is taking over 50 actions to tackle methane emissions at home.
- Welcoming over 130 countries which have now endorsed the Global Methane Pledge – The GMP now covers over half of global methane emissions and over two-thirds of the global economy. In its first year, the GMP has spurred implementation including significant progress on national methane action plans and new landmark policies and initiatives across all major sectors.
- Launching a Joint Declaration from Energy Importers and Exporters on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fossil Fuels – Launched alongside the European Union, Japan, Canada, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the declaration unites major energy importers and exporters to minimize flaring, methane, and CO2 emissions across the fossil energy value chain to the fullest extent practicable. These countries will support enhanced policy action, cooperation on methane measurement, and public and private sector engagement to achieve these goals.
- Welcoming the launch of the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) – Today, the UN Environment Programs’ International Methane Emissions Observatory launched MARS, a new system to tackle methane “super-emitters” by providing countries and companies with data to enable action on major emissions sources.
- Welcoming enhanced action on methane mitigation from international partners, including Nigeria, Canada, and Mexico – All of these countries are among the 20 largest emitters of methane in the oil and gas sector. Nigeria celebrated the finalization and publication of its first-ever methane regulations in its oil and gas sector. Canada reaffirmed its commitment to reduce oil and gas methane emissions by at least 75% by 2030 below 2012 levels through strengthened regulatory action and industry partnerships. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and PEMEX also launched cooperation to reduce methane emissions in Mexico’s oil and gas sector, tackling an emissions source that rivals the emissions from Mexico’s entire power sector. The U.S Trade and Development Agency is also supporting partners in methane abatement by leveraging the best-in-class technical expertise of U.S. industry in this area, including by funding a series of three reverse trade missions in 2023 to familiarize partners with the latest U.S. methane abatement technologies and services.
- Launching the Green Shipping Challenge – Following President Biden’s call to action at his June 2022 MEF, the United States and Norway launched the Green Shipping Challenge at COP27, with more than 40 major announcements from countries, ports, and companies on the actions they are taking to help align the shipping sector with the goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C. For our part, the United States announced initiatives including: three new bilateral workstreams focused on facilitating green shipping corridors with the Republic of Korea, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the development of a U.S. maritime decarbonization strategy, and the launch of a Green Shipping Corridors Initiation Project with $1.5 million, subject to Congressional notification and the completion of domestic procedures, to support feasibility studies for green shipping corridors involving developing countries. These efforts build on U.S. leadership in zero-emission shipping, including $3 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to support zero-emission port equipment, technology, and climate action plans; more than $700 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make U.S. ports more efficient and resilient; and U.S. efforts at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to advance a goal of phasing out greenhouse gas emissions from the international shipping sector to zero no later than 2050.
- Accelerating Zero Emissions Solutions in Ukraine and the EU Through Advanced Nuclear: This announcement launches two projects that showcase the use of innovative small modular reactor (SMR) technologies for powering global decarbonization efforts and providing options to achieve net-zero economies in hard-to-abate energy sectors. These include (i) commencing a 2-year Ukraine Clean Fuels from SMRs Pilot demonstration project in Ukraine to efficiently produce clean hydrogen fuels from SMR and cutting-edge electrolysis technologies and to establish new avenues to achieve food security through production of clean ammonia for fertilizer production, and (ii) launching a new initiative, Project Phoenix, to move Europe from coal-fired plants to SMRs while retaining and retraining local jobs through U.S. support for coal-to-SMR feasibility studies and supporting activities.
- Establishing an International Climate Hub for Climate-Smart Agriculture – Modeled after USDA domestic Climate Hubs, USDA intends to create an International Climate Hub to further support global science-based, climate-informed decision-making. USDA Climate Hubs serve as the premier model for developing and delivering science-based, region-specific information and technologies to U.S. agricultural and natural resource managers that enable climate-informed decision-making. By creating a new International Climate Hub, USDA will help support goals set out in PREPARE, the Global Methane Pledge, and the Global Fertilizer Challenge. By sharing the best practices and research on climate-smart agriculture and forestry, including those gained from international coalitions and research consortia, we can help address climate change on a global-scale, build out new and better markets for U.S. products and make agriculture production more efficient and productive everywhere.
- Announcing New Initiatives for Governments to Lead by Example
- Engaging U.S. Federal Government suppliers – Today, President Biden announced historic new action that would make the United States the first national government to require major suppliers to set Paris Agreement-aligned emissions reduction goals. This action would reduce GHGs and protect the Federal Government’s supply chains from climate-related financial risks. As the world’s single largest buyer of goods and services – with over $630 billion in spending last year alone, climate change poses significant financial risks to the Federal Government. Through the Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Proposed Rule, major Federal Government contractors would be required to publicly disclose their GHG emissions and climate-related financial risks and set science-based emissions reduction targets.
- Launching the Net-Zero Government Initiative – This initiative leverages the catalytic role of national governments in accelerating the implementation and achievement of countries’ climate targets. Participating countries commit to achieving net-zero emissions from national government operations by no later than 2050, developing a roadmap and interim targets by COP28 that outlines their pathway for getting there, and publishing the roadmap upon completion. Over 15 countries will join the United States in this Initiative.
- Launching the Subnational Climate Action Leaders’ Exchange – The U.S. State Department and Bloomberg Philanthropies are supporting a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Subnational Climate Action Leaders Exchange (SCALE), to help cities, states, and regions develop and implement net-zero, climate-resilient targets and roadmaps. SCALE will empower subnational champions to drive ambition at the national and international level and will leverage action and advocacy organized around a set of high-level goals needed to keep a 1.5-aligned, climate-resilient future within reach. In its first phase, SCALE will focus on accelerating implementation of the Global Methane Pledge and its call for a 30 percent reduction in methane emissions by 2030.
- Launching the Net-Zero Game Changers Initiative – This initiative accelerates game-changing climate innovations and supercharges the public and private climate innovation ecosystem to help the United States meet President Biden’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. To launch the initiative, the White House Climate Policy Office, Office of Management and Budget, and Office of Science and Technology Policy released a new report, U.S. Innovation to Meet 2050 Climate Goals, which describes 37 game-changing R&D opportunities identified across U.S. Federal agencies. With inclusive and intentional innovation, these innovations can help propel the United States and the rest of the world towards an affordable, equitable, net-zero energy system.
CATALYZING INVESTMENT AT THE SCALE REQUIRED TO TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS
The United States is committed to not only meeting President Biden’s ambitious goal to quadruple U.S. climate finance to over $11 billion a year and working with other countries to meet the goal of mobilizing $100 billion, but also to using public finance in new and innovative ways to unlock the much larger pools of capital that will be required to tackle the climate crisis. These efforts are in direct support of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. These efforts include:
White House.gov. 11/11/2022.
- Launching “Climate Finance +” – The U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and USAID are collaborating to accelerate the use of innovative finance mechanisms that aim to leverage billions in new public and private investment in low and lower-middle income countries. This Climate Finance + effort will support potential green bonds and other climate-related financing through MCC technical assistance in Indonesia, Mozambique, and Zambia and USAID support for the development of green bonds in at least five additional countries via public-private partnerships.
- Investing over $2.3 billion in Innovative Financing for Climate in 2022 through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation – The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 it invested more than $2.3 billion to combat the climate crisis through mitigation and resilience projects that have a positive developmental impact. Recognizing the urgent need to scale up private-investment in adaptation efforts in developing countries, DFC has announced a major push to accelerate its investments in this area. In FY 2022, more than $390 million of the agency’s investments went to projects that helped to bolster developing countries’ resilience, and an additional $200 million went to deals that will generate adaptation co-benefits. Building on this momentum, DFC is accepting climate adaptation business proposals for financing to support resilience in developing countries, with an emphasis on four sectors: agriculture, water, built environment, and health. DFC’s investments also helped support clean energy solutions that provide reliable, affordable energy to help developing countries meet rising demand and support economic development.
- Unlocking Billions in Finance and Facilitating U.S. Clean Technology Exports Through Strategic Investments by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and U.S. Export-Import Bank – In April 2021, President Biden announced the launch of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency’s (USTDA) Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure to connect U.S. industry to major clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects in emerging economies. At COP27, USTDA announced that it has already funded more than 50 activities through the Partnership that will help its partners in developing and middle-income countries achieve their energy and transportation sector climate mitigation and adaptation goals. These activities are designed to help unlock more than $65 billion in climate finance and support more than $15 billion in U.S. exports. Additionally, the U.S. Export-Import Bank announced that it has provided over $175 million in financing to support U.S. exports of climate friendly technologies, its highest volume of authorizations for clean technology exports in years.
- Launching the Sustainable Banking Alliance –USAID will help deepen the sustainable financial sectors in developing countries by partnering with community financial institutions and banking associations across the globe to develop tools and capacity focused on climate financing, climate risk, and carbon accounting and will encourage climate finance target-setting for community banks. The activity will be launched with two pilot countries, Colombia and Rwanda, with an initial total budget of just over $1 million. The Alliance supports USAID’s Action Plan for Climate and SDG Investment.
ENGAGING ALL OF SOCIETY IN TACKLING THE CLIMATE CRISIS:
President Biden believes that tackling the climate crisis must take an inclusive approach, engaging all members of society. At COP27, the United States announced new initiatives to advance this objective, including:
White House.gov. 11/11/2022.
- Launching the Climate Gender Equity Fund – With initial seed funding of $6 million, USAID is co-launching a new Climate Gender Equity Fund in, partnership with Amazon, which will leverage private sector contributions to help provide women climate leaders with technical skills, networks, and capital to develop and scale climate solutions. The Fund is enabled by USAID’s commitment to gender-responsive climate action, including its allocating more than $21 million from the Gender Equity and Equality Action (GEEA) Fund, surpassing its $14 million COP26 commitment.
- Investing in Climate Leadership for Egyptian Women – USAID is spurring climate action by investing in education and skills building for women and youth. USAID has made a $23 million initial investment in a new nine-year program that aims to build a more inclusive Egyptian workforce, with an emphasis on sectors with the potential to contribute to climate goals such as environment and energy.
- Launching the Indigenous Peoples Finance Access Facility – This Facility will enable the continued climate stewardship by Indigenous peoples and local communities improving their access to climate finance. This three-year, $2 million-dollar program, implemented by Indigenous peoples within Conservation International, will provide trainings, tools, and workshops to build long-term capacity and enhance access to climate finance.
- Empowering Youth as Resilience and Clean Energy Leaders – The U.S. State Department is launching two three-week, in-person On-Demand Youth Leadership Program exchanges for approximately 40 high school-aged youth and adult mentors from the United States and countries across Africa to develop a deeper understanding among young leaders about climate adaptation and clean energy and to foster their ability to provide solutions to the climate crisis in their home communities. The exchanges are scheduled for spring 2023.
His remarks will be long over; probably by the time the post is posted. But here is the live feed the White House streamed on YouTube.
President Biden has tweeted 3 times so far for Friday…
Yeah, that will change as my article writing goes on….
His 3rd tweet:
See everything posted above…
On November 7th 2022, the White House issued the following Proclamation; on Veterans Day, 2022
Today, we honor generations of patriots who have earned the title of “American veteran” — a badge of courage that unites the finest group of former service members the world has ever known. With their selfless sacrifice, our Armed Forces have forged and defended the very idea of America — a promise of freedom and equality, democracy and justice, possibility and hope. We owe them an incredible debt that can never be fully repaid.
Veterans Day is personal to the Biden family. We have felt the pride that comes with seeing your child wear the uniform of the United States and the pain of long deployments far from home. We know what it is like to pray every day for the safe return of someone you love. And we have stood in awe of our veterans who carry the lasting wounds of war. We pledge to continue the work to return our prisoners of war and those still missing in action and commit to remember the sacrifice of the families of those who have served. As both a father and Commander in Chief, I firmly believe that our one truly sacred obligation as a Nation is to properly prepare and equip the brave women and men we send into harm’s way and to care for them and their loved ones when they return home.
That is why I was so proud to sign the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT Act — the most significant expansion of benefits and services for our veterans in more than 30 years. As the name suggests, the PACT Act fulfills a promise to our veteran community. By funding new facilities, enabling better research, and expanding care and compensation for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service — as well as helping their survivors access life insurance, home loan assistance, tuition benefits, and monthly stipends — we are giving back to those who have given so much for all of us. This law bolsters other bills I have signed this year to improve health care for veterans — from providing mammograms and screenings for service members exposed to toxins to compensating veterans who developed cancer and other medical conditions from our World War II nuclear program. And to ensure we continue to meet our sacred obligation to our veteran families, caregivers, and survivors, the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative is helping military spouses find jobs, supporting children of service members in classrooms, and extending physical, mental, and emotional services to families.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other Federal agencies are also working around the clock to end veteran suicide and veteran homelessness. As part of a comprehensive public health strategy that we released last year, the VA is funding community-led suicide prevention programs that meet veterans where they are, increasing public awareness about the importance of firearm storage in preventing suicides, and requesting billions more from the Congress to improve mental health care services for patients across the country. At the same time, with funding from my American Rescue Plan, the VA is on track to permanently house 38,000 homeless veterans this year alone.
Fulfilling our Nation’s promise to our veterans and military families also means ensuring that everyone who serves — no matter their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or religious background — feels safe and valued in the ranks. Since coming into office, I have made historic reforms to the military justice system that enhance safety and protections for service members and veterans who have experienced sexual assault or harassment. Secretary McDonough issued a zero-tolerance policy and announced that harassment and sexual assault, including sexual harassment and gender-based harassment, will not be tolerated within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is also a priority for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who has made preventing sexual assault and restoring the trust in the military justice processes a constant focus. Additionally, we reversed the discriminatory ban on transgender service and directed a review of all policies and practices to ensure greater inclusivity of LGBTQ+ veterans.
In every generation, America’s veterans have been willing to give all for that which we hold sacred — freedom, justice, and democracy. They have served selflessly, sacrificed greatly, and shouldered the burden of freedom quietly, asking no glory for themselves. Today, let us honor them by living up to their example — putting service before self, caring for our neighbors, and working passionately to build a more perfect Union worthy of all those who protect our lives and liberty.
In respect and recognition of the contributions our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation’s veterans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2022, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor, courage, and sacrifice of these patriots through appropriate ceremonies and private prayers, and by observing two minutes of silence for our Nation’s veterans. I also call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States of America and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.
White House.gov. 11/07/2022.
This morning the White House posted the following fact-sheet; Biden-Harris Administration is Supporting America’s Veterans and Their Families, Caregivers, and Survivors
President Biden believes we have a sacred obligation to our nation’s veterans and their families. Since taking office, President Biden has signed into law over 25 bipartisan bills that address some of the most important issues facing veterans today, including the landmark PACT Act to address toxic exposures. On education, housing, and health care, the Administration and Congress have worked together to connect veterans and their families to much-needed resources. As we mark this Veterans Day and honor all those who have worn the uniform of the United States, the Administration is continuing to support our veterans by:
Delivering timely, high quality benefits and services. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is delivering more benefits and health care, more quickly, to more veterans than ever before. In 2022, VA processed an all-time record 1.7 million veteran claims—breaking the previous record by 12%. In total, VA delivered $128 billion in earned benefits to 6.1 million veterans and survivors during 2022. Over the last two years, VA has provided more than 220 million health care engagements to veterans—the most for a two-year time period in VA history.
Addressing toxic exposures. Earlier this week, VA began screening all veterans enrolled in VA health care for toxic exposures, thanks to a bipartisan bill President Biden got through Congress—marking the biggest expansion of VA health care in nearly 30 years. In August, President Biden signed the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act and announced that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs would make all presumptive conditions effective immediately. This new law makes it easier for veterans to get benefits and services they have earned. Since enactment, more than 137,000 toxic exposure related claims have been filed and more veterans are now eligible for health care. Thanks to this new law, 31 new clinical sites will be opened and more providers hired to deliver the care. The Department of Defense (DOD) also announced updates to its policies related to burn pits – thereby decreasing exposure for troops in the future.
Reducing veteran suicide. Since releasing a comprehensive public health strategy for reducing military and veteran suicide last year, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to improve suicide prevention efforts. This year, both DoD and VA have reported declines in suicide deaths, marking progress in federal efforts to prevent suicide. VA awarded $52 million in grants for 80 community-based organizations to deliver or coordinate suicide prevention programs and services for veterans and their family members. In July, the 988 Veterans Crisis Line went live to provide veterans and their loved ones an easy to remember number to help veterans in crisis.
Ending veteran homelessness. Thanks to efforts by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), and VA, as well as historic investments from the President’s American Rescue Plan, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by 11% between 2020 and 2022 – the largest decline in the last five years – and our nation is on track to permanently house 38,000 veterans in 2022 alone. To further this progress, last month, VA awarded $130 million to support programs to help veterans and their families find stable housing. VA also released three new grant opportunities to provide veterans with rapid re-housing services, 11,000 temporary beds, and case managers who can help find community-based assistance and permanent housing.
Supporting women veterans. Women are the fastest growing group of veterans who use VA services. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to addressing and providing resources for the specialized health care needs of women veterans including increasing cancer screenings, improving mental health care and access, addressing infertility and reducing intimate partner violence. Over the past year, VA has expanded access to reproductive health services to include abortion counseling and abortion services in limited circumstances, committed to improving maternal health, and placed a Women’s Mental Health Champion at every VA Medical Center to ensure women feel welcome and receive equitable treatment and care.
Removing barriers to services for LGBTQ+ veterans. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting and serving our LGBTQ+ veterans. The Administration ended the ban on transgender service and directed a review of all policies and practices to ensure greater inclusivity of LGTBQ+ veterans. VA also committed to providing gender affirming care and resources in an inclusive environment. Last month, VA also announced it was extending survivor benefits for certain survivors of LGBTQ+ veterans.
Protecting service member and veteran education benefits. For too long, service members and veterans have been targeted by predatory marketing practices from for-profit educational institutions. In October, the Department of Education closed the 90/10 loophole in the Higher Education Act that allowed for-profit colleges to aggressively recruit veterans and service members. The revised definition means institutions will no longer be able to count money from veteran and service member benefits toward the 10% revenue requirement from non-federal sources requirement.
Protecting veterans and military families from fraud. In 2021 alone, veterans, military personnel, and their families reported fraud losses exceeding $267 million. The Biden-Harris Administration is working to better protect veterans and their families against these scams. VA, in partnership with the Department of Education, Federal Trade Commission, Social Security Administration, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, State Department, and Department of Defense are working to develop new consumer education initiatives, consolidated fraud reporting processes, and more rapid responses to fraud attempts against veterans and military personnel. More information will be released in the coming months.
Connecting more veterans with resources for training and employment. The Department of Labor and its partners are working to ensure all veterans have access to the resources they need to find gainful employment. This year, the Department of Labor (DOL), in partnership with the Department of Transportation, launched a 90-Day Trucking Apprenticeship Challenge that produced more than 2,000 veteran apprentices and 500 fully trained veteran trucking professionals. In April 2021, DOL launched the Employment Navigator Partnership Pilot (ENPP) to provide one-on-one career assistance to transitioning service members. Since launch, more than 6,500 service members and their spouses received assistance through the program.
Expanding services for veteran caregivers. More than 5.5 million caregivers provide support to our nation’s wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans, many of whom require close care and supervision. Ensuring caregivers receive the support, training, and compensation they deserve is a critical priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. In October, VA expanded the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to veterans of all service eras. Of the 17,000 applications received since, over 14,400 have been reviewed and advanced to the next stages of processing or clinical review.
Helping educators support military-connected students. As part of First Lady Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, the Administration will release new toolkits later this month to help educators support military-connected children, including the more than 2.3 million children and youth living with and supporting wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans. The toolkit outlines ways educators and school administrators can build awareness and community around veterans and their families. It includes activities elementary, middle, and high schools can use to support military-connected students throughout the school year.
Supporting children living with wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans. Under the leadership of First Lady Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, the Hidden Helper Coalition supports the more than 2.3 million children and youth living with and serving wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans. Since its launch one year ago, the coalition has announced a series of new commitments to bring attention to the untold stories of child caregivers and expanded the coalition to 75 member organizations that represent a diverse cross-section of public and private sector partners committed to supporting this mission.
Ending hunger and promoting healthier living. Addressing hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity are key to improving health outcomes for veterans. As part of the White House Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, VA announced it will establish an Office of Food Security to help tackle food insecurity among veterans, expand the clinical nutrition services it provides to veterans receiving VA health care, and pilot produce prescription programs, food pantries, and mobile food pantries to meet the needs of veterans. VA also announced $16 million in funding to help veterans participate in adaptive sports. And, earlier this week, the Department of Interior announced the availability of a free lifetime pass for veterans and Gold Star families to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.
Helping heal trauma. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) opened applications for the second round of Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants. The program provides resources to support local and regional communities in artmaking experiences to support veterans and their families. In June, NEA funded 26 organizations that incorporate visual arts, crafts, dance, creative writing, theater and music to improve engagement and outcomes for veterans. Creative Forces is an initiative of NEA in partnership with DoD and VA to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers.
I thank all Veterans for their service. Each time someone mentions a fallen solider or I see a happy reunion with service members and their families, I think of one song first before others…
When the post was posted for Thursday, President Biden had tweeted 3 times. He added 8 tweets giving him a Thursday Tweeting Total of 11 tweets and 0 retweets.
We are on the right-ish path. Inflation is a global problem with some in the U.S., finally starting to see some form of relief.
The full YouTube is 10 minutes and 37 seconds long.
Here’s a thing from me; some of the inflation prices are totally gonna stick. Cause why you ask?
Cause people are continuing to spend money. If a company see’s you are willing to continue to buy it’s product at an inflated price, it’s gonna to continue to charge that inflated price.
That is not to say that some retail items will not come down in price, they will, over time dip in price…
When he was sworn-in we were at the height of the pandemic.
The video is 45 seconds long.
President Biden: Folks, my economic plan is showing results. The people are starting to feel it. We’re making progress on bringing down inflation without losing jobs. Americans are already paying around $1.20 less per gallon of gas than they were this summer. Folks are seeing a much-needed break in inflation at the grocery store as we head into the holidays. People are shopping for health insurance and continuing to save $800.00 a year because of actions we took. And it’s going to take time to get inflation back to normal levels. But we’re going to keep at it. We’re on the right track. We’re not losing jobs. In the meantime I’m going to keep fighting to build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out.
I refer you back to the top of the article…
This is an Open Thread.
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