By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name Neera Tanden, who was an adviser to former President Barack Obama, as director of the White House budget office, and economist Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers as soon as Monday, according to a person familiar with the process.Biden is also expected to pick Wally Adeyemo, senior international economic adviser in the Obama administration, to serve as Janet Yellen’s top deputy at the Treasury Department. Economists Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey are expected to be named as members of the...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name Neera Tanden, who was an adviser to former President Barack Obama, as director of the White House budget office, and economist Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers as soon as Monday, according to a person familiar with the process.Biden is also expected to pick Wally Adeyemo, senior international economic adviser in the Obama administration, to serve as Janet Yellen’s top deputy at the Treasury Department. Economists Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey are expected to be named as members of the...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden called on nations to work together on a transition to clean energy on Friday, the second and final day of a climate summit he hosted to rally world ambition to reduce global warming."Nations that work together to invest in a cleaner economy will reap the rewards for their citizens," the Democratic president, who took office in January, told the virtual summit.Biden called the meeting with dozens of heads of state to declare the United States back at the climate leadership table...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden called on nations to work together on a transition to clean energy on Friday, the second and final day of a climate summit he hosted to rally world ambition to reduce global warming."Nations that work together to invest in a cleaner economy will reap the rewards for their citizens," the Democratic president, who took office in January, told the virtual summit.Biden called the meeting with dozens of heads of state to declare the United States back at the climate leadership table...WW…

Clouds gather but produce no rain as cracks are seen in the dried up municipal dam in drought-stricken Graaff-Reinet, South Africa, November 14, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, April 19 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres wants the United States to commit this week to at least halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 -- a move he said could unlock similar action from the world’s other large emitters.The United States, the world’s biggest economy and second-biggest emitter of...…Clouds gather but produce no rain as cracks are seen in the dried up municipal dam in drought-stricken Graaff-Reinet, South Africa, November 14, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, April 19 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres wants the United States to commit this week to at least halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 -- a move he said could unlock similar action from the world’s other large emitters.The United States, the world’s biggest economy and second-biggest emitter of...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - Over a dozen Democratic senators on Friday urged U.S. President Joe Biden to withhold financial assistance to Brazil unless it demonstrates it is reducing deforestation in the Amazon and cracking down on environmental crimes.The letter, signed by 15 senators led by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy and New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, was sent days before Biden hosts a virtual climate leaders summit on April 22-23, which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is due to attend. It also comes as U.S. climate...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - Over a dozen Democratic senators on Friday urged U.S. President Joe Biden to withhold financial assistance to Brazil unless it demonstrates it is reducing deforestation in the Amazon and cracking down on environmental crimes.The letter, signed by 15 senators led by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy and New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, was sent days before Biden hosts a virtual climate leaders summit on April 22-23, which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is due to attend. It also comes as U.S. climate...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - U.S. climate envoy John Kerry will travel to China this week to discuss international efforts to tackle global warming, seeking to press his counterparts to make ambitious emissions reduction targets despite tension in the U.S.-China relationship.The U.S. State Department said Kerry would travel to Shanghai and Seoul, South Korea, for talks on April 14-17, ahead of President Joe Biden's virtual summit with world leaders on climate change next week.Kerry will "discuss raising global climate ambition,"...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - U.S. climate envoy John Kerry will travel to China this week to discuss international efforts to tackle global warming, seeking to press his counterparts to make ambitious emissions reduction targets despite tension in the U.S.-China relationship.The U.S. State Department said Kerry would travel to Shanghai and Seoul, South Korea, for talks on April 14-17, ahead of President Joe Biden's virtual summit with world leaders on climate change next week.Kerry will "discuss raising global climate ambition,"...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress to sharply hike spending on climate change, cancer and underperforming schools, but his first budget wishlist on Friday drew howls of bipartisan concern over military spending.The $1.5 trillion budget, reflecting an 8% increase in base funding from this year, marks a sharp contrast with the goals of Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.It would spread billions of dollars more across areas ranging from public transit, poor schools, toxic site clean-ups, foreign aid and...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress to sharply hike spending on climate change, cancer and underperforming schools, but his first budget wishlist on Friday drew howls of bipartisan concern over military spending.The $1.5 trillion budget, reflecting an 8% increase in base funding from this year, marks a sharp contrast with the goals of Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.It would spread billions of dollars more across areas ranging from public transit, poor schools, toxic site clean-ups, foreign aid and...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A revised World Bank policy on climate change commits to making financing decisions in line with efforts to limit global warming, but stops short of promising to halt funding of fossil fuels, according to a draft bank presentation seen by Reuters.The World Bank, the biggest provider of climate finance to developing countries, is finalizing a new five-year climate action plan amid growing political momentum in Britain, the United States and other countries for ending public financing of high-emission fossil fuel projects.In a sharp reversal from the...…By , , WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A revised World Bank policy on climate change commits to making financing decisions in line with efforts to limit global warming, but stops short of promising to halt funding of fossil fuels, according to a draft bank presentation seen by Reuters.The World Bank, the biggest provider of climate finance to developing countries, is finalizing a new five-year climate action plan amid growing political momentum in Britain, the United States and other countries for ending public financing of high-emission fossil fuel projects.In a sharp reversal from the...WW…

By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Deb Haaland was confirmed on Monday as Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency and securing a central role in President Joe Biden’s sweeping plans to fight climate change.The U.S. Senate confirmed the New Mexico Democrat 51-40 after she clinched support from Republicans including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Maine Senator Susan Collins.Haaland became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress in 2018. Her ascension to...…By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Deb Haaland was confirmed on Monday as Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency and securing a central role in President Joe Biden’s sweeping plans to fight climate change.The U.S. Senate confirmed the New Mexico Democrat 51-40 after she clinched support from Republicans including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Maine Senator Susan Collins.Haaland became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress in 2018. Her ascension to...WW…

By (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Michael Regan as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, which will play a central role in the Biden administration’s plans to slash greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles and oil and gas facilities.The bipartisan tally in the Democratic-led Senate was 66-34 to confirm Regan, who will be the first Black man to lead the EPA.Regan will take the helm of the agency as it rebuilds after the Trump era, which had been focused on undoing Obama era regulations on industry, slashing the agency’s budget...…By (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Michael Regan as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, which will play a central role in the Biden administration’s plans to slash greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles and oil and gas facilities.The bipartisan tally in the Democratic-led Senate was 66-34 to confirm Regan, who will be the first Black man to lead the EPA.Regan will take the helm of the agency as it rebuilds after the Trump era, which had been focused on undoing Obama era regulations on industry, slashing the agency’s budget...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic National Committee’s council on climate change irked party leadership when it published policy recommendations this month that ventured beyond presidential candidate Joe Biden’s plan, according to three people familiar with the matter.The party tension shows the tricky nature of climate politics as Biden seeks to court young and more progressive voters without turning off voters in energy-producing swing states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, where a boom in shale gas drilling had created blue-collar jobs.Members of the DNC Environment and Climate...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic National Committee’s council on climate change irked party leadership when it published policy recommendations this month that ventured beyond presidential candidate Joe Biden’s plan, according to three people familiar with the matter.The party tension shows the tricky nature of climate politics as Biden seeks to court young and more progressive voters without turning off voters in energy-producing swing states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, where a boom in shale gas drilling had created blue-collar jobs.Members of the DNC Environment and Climate...WW…