Biden’s Environmental Record: Selin Weighs In
Henrik Selin, Associate Professor of International Relations at BU’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies was cited in Reporterre, a French online news website focused on environmental and social issues.
The article discusses President Joe Biden’s environmental policies which have been a topic of significant discussion as his term comes to an end. While some hail him as potentially the “greenest president in U.S. history,” others point out contradictions in his approach to climate issues.
Biden’s tenure has seen major initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocates $369 billion for clean energy and climate action. He also reversed several Trump-era environmental rollbacks and implemented new regulations on coal power plants. However, his administration has also approved new oil drilling projects and overseen record U.S. oil production, drawing criticism from environmental advocates.
As the debate over Biden’s environmental legacy continues, experts are offering their perspectives. One such expert cited in the article is Professor Henrik Selin, who specializes in international environmental cooperation.
Selin suggests that it may be too early to fully assess the impact of Biden’s environmental policies. In his view, the true effects of Biden’s initiatives might not be fully apparent for over a decade.
“Biden has started something, we’ll have to see in 2035: then, we’ll have a better idea of what he’s done for the planet,” Selin is quoted as saying.
Selin also notes that if Vice President Kamala Harris succeeds Biden, it will be important to ensure that climate objectives and their associated deadlines are maintained.
This perspective highlights the long-term nature of climate policy and the challenges in evaluating immediate results. As the U.S. moves towards its next election, the future of Biden’s environmental policies and their lasting impact remains a subject of ongoing analysis and debate.
The full article can be read in Reporterre.
Henrik Selin has been at Boston University since 2004. His research and teaching focus on global and regional politics and policymaking on the environment and sustainable development. He is the author of Mercury Stories: Understanding Sustainability through a Volatile Element, European Union Environmental Governance, and Global Governance of Hazardous Chemicals: Challenges of Multilevel Management. He is also the author and co-author of more than four dozen peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He also serves as Editor for the journal Global Environmental Politics. Learn more about Professor Selin on his faculty profile.