2020 election: Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren unveil dueling climate proposals

Both proposals embrace foundations of the Green New Deal and call for carbon-free solutions to global warming

Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren have unveiled major climate proposals on the very same day, with both leading 2020 Democrats embracing the foundations of the Green New Deal and calling for carbon-free solutions to global warming.

The policy outlines reflect a tangible sense of urgency felt among voters on the issue; 82 per cent of Democratic respondents in a CNN national poll said it was “very important” for them to have a nominee vowing “aggressive action” to combat climate change.

Mr Biden — the clear frontrunner thus far among an ever-increasing pack of Democratic candidates — was previously criticised amid reports he was planning to release a climate proposal that sought to find “middle ground” on the issue. However, his new proposal pledges to go far beyond policies implemented throughout former President Barack Obama’s administration.

The former vice president has proposed reaching net-zero carbon emissions and achieving 100 per cent clean energy by 2050 through a massive $5tn (£3.94tn) plan — paid in part by undoing Donald Trump’s tax cuts.

The 22-page outline refers to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal proposal as “a crucial framework” and has been described by the environmental rights group Sunrise Movement as “a major victory”.

Meanwhile, Ms Warren — who has steadily risen in national polls, sitting behind Mr Biden, Bernie Sanders and, in some cases, California Democrat Kamala Harris — unveiled a sweeping $2tn (£1.58tn) package that outlines how she would effectively implement the Green New Deal as president.

The plan uses the post-World War II Marshall Plan as a model and includes funding towards energy research, as well as a $100bn (£78.9bn) investment to aid poorer countries suffering from rising temperatures, called the Green Marshall Plan. Under the Massachusetts senator’s proposal, the federal government will spend (£118.3bn) annually over the next ten years towards combatting climate change.

Both politicians have used their proposals to showcase their commitments to addressing global warming in the hopes of attracting support from the party’s progressive base, which has become increasingly outspoken towards climate change.

“We must take drastic action now to address the climate disaster facing the nation and our world,” Mr Biden said in a statement announcing his proposal.

Ms Warren said the issue “demands immediate and bold action” in a Medium post on Tuesday, adding: “Like we have before, we should bank on American ingenuity and American workers to lead the global effort to face down this threat — and create more than a million good jobs here at home.”

Both Mr Biden and Ms Warren have also pledged not to accept campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry, along with other Democratic candidates vying for a shot at the White House.

Other 2020 hopefuls have also released sprawling climate proposals, including former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke, whose $5tn (£3.94tn) plan also seeks to eliminate emissions by 2050.