>> WELCOME BACK TO THIS SPECIAL
EDITION OF
FAST-FORWARD LIFE AFTER
COVID-19 AS THE WHITE HOUSE
CHANGES HANDS FROM THE TRUMP TO
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE WILL
ONCE AGAIN BE CONSIDERED 8
TOP PRIORITY. FOR MORE ON THIS
WE'RE JOINED BY NATHANIEL CO
HAND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL
DEFENSE FUND ALSO SERVED IN THE
WHITE HOUSE AS SPECIAL
ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
THAT THEY KNOW GREAT TO HAVE
YOU WITH US ON THE SHOW TODAY
AS WE MENTIONED WE KNOW THAT
PRESIDENT ELECT BIDEN IS GOING
TO REFOCUS ON THE CLIMATE HE
PLANS TO REJOIN THE PARIS
CLIMATE ACCORD WHEN HE ASSUMES
OFFICE WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR
THE GLOBAL EFFORTS TO COMBAT
MISSIONS.
>> WELL, THANKS VERY MUCH AND
THANKS FOR HAVING ME I THINK
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WILL
BE A SEA CHANGE FOR GLOBAL
EFFORTS ON
CLIMATE CHANGE THE PRESIDENT
ELECT HAS SAID HE WILL REJOIN
THE PARIS AGREEMENT ON
DAY ONE OF HIS IT WILL ACTUALLY
TAKE 30 DAYS TO TAKE EFFECT.
BUT THAT WILL BE A HUGE SHOT IN
THE ARM
TO GLOBAL EFFORTS IN FACT IN
THE LAST IN RECENT MONTHS WE'VE
ALREADY SEEN
REALLY IMPORTANT COMMITMENTS
TAKEN BY OTHER LEADING EMITTERS
CHINA SAID IT WE'LL BE CARBON
NEUTRAL BY
2016. THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS
PUT IN PLACE A VERY AGGRESSIVE
TAR TO CUT EMISSIONS BY 55% BY
2030 OR SO
BIDEN COMES INTO THIS ARENA
WITH LOTS OF OTHER MOMENTUM,
LOTS
OF COMMITMENTS AND EVERYBODY
WILL BE LOOKING TO THE U.S. TO
JOIN IN AND MAKE OUR OWN
COMMITMENT TO REAL CLIMATE
ACTION AND SUPPORTING GLOBAL
COOPERATION ON
THIS CRISIS.
>> TO THAT POINT I DO WANT TO
PULL UP A TWEET FROM PRESIDENT
ELECT BIDEN HE TWEETED OVER THE
WEEKEND AS PRESIDENT I'LL PUT
AMERICA ON A PATH TO ACHIEVE A
CARBON POLLUTION FREE
ELECTRICITY SECTOR BY 2035 A
PATH THAT NO FUTURE PRESIDENT
CAN
TURN BACK. SO DANIEL HOW WOULD
A PRESIDENT PRESIDENT LIKE
BIDEN PUT INTO MOTION THIS KIND
OF MASSIVE ECONOMIC SHIFT THAT
WOULD HAVE TO OCCUR FOR THIS TO
ACTUALLY BECOME REALITY.
>> WELL FIRST OF ALL THE POWER
SECTOR IS ONE OF THE LEADING
SOURCES OF CLIMATE POLLUTION.
THE UNITED STATES
AND ACTUALLY IT'S A LITTLE LESS
THAN IT USED TO BE BECAUSE THE
SECTOR'S GOTTEN CLEANER, WE
HAVE MORE WIND AND MORE
SOLAR POWER AND WE RELY LESS ON
COAL BUT THERE'S A LONG WAY TO
GO. AND SO PRESIDENT ELECT
BIDEN HAS
PUT 4 A VERY AMBITIOUS, BUT
ACHIEVABLE GOAL OF A 0 CARBON
POWER SECTOR BY 2035 AND TO GET
THERE WE NEED TO DO A COUPLE OF
THINGS FIRST WE NEED TO
MASSIVELY INVEST IN DEPLOYING
WIND AND SOLAR POWER. WE HAVE
THAT NOW COSTS HAVE GONE DOWN
BY 90% OVER THE LAST DECADE.
WE KNOW WE'RE READY TO
DEPLOY THAT THAT'S CLEAN ENERGY
LOW COST ENERGY THAT WE CAN PUT
IN PLACE AROUND
THE COUNTRY. AND WE CAN DO THAT
NOW IN THE NEXT DECADE AND THEN
THE SECOND THING WE NEED TO DO
IS INVEST IN
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AMERICA CAN
BECOME A LEADER GLOBALLY ON THE
CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES WE'RE
GOING TO NEED FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY THAT
MEANS JOBS THAT MEANS
TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION THAT
MEANS GLOBALLY ON THE
COMPETITIVENESS BUT WE DO NEED
TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS NOW
SO WE GET OUR ECONOMY UP AND
RUNNING ON THAT CLEAN
ENERGY PATH AND IF WE DO THOSE
2 AND WE CAN PUT IN PLACE
POLICIES THAT REDUCE EMISSIONS
OF POLICIES THAT SUPPORT THOSE
INVESTMENTS THAT WILL BE ON
THAT PATH TO THAT
TRANSFORMATIONAL GOAL THAT THE
PRESIDENT ELECT HAS SENT.
>> YEAH WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
INVESTMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY WE'VE
SEEN OVER THE COURSE OF THIS
PANDEMIC
WHEN SOMETHING IS URGENT WE
SEE SCIENCES ABILITY TO
ACCELERATE INNOVATION TO
ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT BUT
AGAIN THAT'S BECAUSE WE SAW
THIS URGENCY AROUND TO THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC HOW DO WE
CREATE THAT SIMILAR KIND OF
URGENCY AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE
WHERE A CORPORATION AND
COUNTRIES INDIVIDUALS OR SO
INCENTIVIZED TO ACTUALLY MAKE
CHANGE.
>> WELL IT'S IT'S A GREAT POINT
AND I THINK THERE'S 3 QUICK
PARTS TO THAT FIRST OF ALL
WE'RE ALREADY
SEEING PEOPLE AROUND THIS
COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD
ARE ALREADY SEEING THE IMPACTS
OF CLIMATE
CHANGE ON THEIR COMMUNITIES AND
PLACES THAT THEY LOVE ON THEIR
HEALTH AND THEIR CHILDREN'S
HEALTH WE SEE THAT
IN THE WILDFIRES OUT WEST WE
SEE THAT IN THE HURRICANES THAT
POUNDED THE GULF COAST IN
FLORIDA THIS YEAR WE SEE THAT A
DROUGHT SON UNPRECEDENTED IN
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY
SO PEOPLE KNOW THIS THEY SEE IT
WE SEE THAT IN WE SEE THAT IN
THEIR EXIT POLLS WHEN THEY TALK
ABOUT WHAT MATTERED TO THEM ON
ELECTION DAY WE SEE THAT HOW
THEY'RE RESPONDING. SO PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THAT CLIMATE CHANGE
IS REAL AND IT'S HAPPENING NOW
AND THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THAT
SENSE. EMERGENCY BUT WE DO NEED
A COUPLE MORE THINGS ONE IS WE
NEED TO MAKE
THOSE INVESTMENTS IN THAT
TECHNOLOGY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HAS A HUGE ROLE TO
PLAY A GOOD STEP FORWARD WITH
THE
STIMULUS BILL THAT CONGRESS IS
CONSIDERING THIS WEEK AND
SECOND WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE
POLICIES THAT AS YOU SAY CREATE
THOSE INCENTIVES THROUGHOUT THE
WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE
POLICIES THAT MAKE IT IN EVERY
COMPANIES AND EVERY BUSINESS IS
OWN SELF INTEREST AND AND
PROFITABLE INTEREST TO BE
DIRECTED TOWARDS CUTTING CARBON
POLLUTION, DEVELOPING THE NEXT
RANGER, THE NEXT WAVE CLEAN
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT CONGRESS CAN DO
IF
IT ACTS.
>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT ON THE
PROFITABLE INTEREST OF
CORPORATIONS ON THAT FRONT
WE'VE SEEN COMPANIES REALLY
STEP UP WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING
A STANCE ON VALUES ON SOCIAL
INJUSTICES THAT THE THING
SIMILARLY MAKING A LOT OF
PROMISES THIS YEAR IN COMBATING
CLIMATE CHANGE YOU LOOK AT THE
BIG TECH NAMES LIKE
APPLE FACEBOOK AMAZON FOR
EXAMPLE MAKING CARBON
NEUTRAL PROMISES TO WHAT EXTENT
DO YOU THINK CORPORATIONS
THEMSELVES ARE GOING TO LEAD
THE WAY IN COMBAT
IN CLASS THE CHANGE EVEN IF
THAT FEDERAL INCENTIVE THAT
GOVERNMENT INCENTIVE ISN'T
QUITE THERE YET.
>> WELL I THINK THERE'S A
SYNERGY BETWEEN THE 2 I THINK
CORPORATE LEADERSHIP LIKE THE
COMPANY'S
YOU MENTION THAT LEADERSHIP IS
CRUCIAL. IT DEMONSTRATES THAT
THE COMPANY SEE WHERE THE
FUTURE IS THE COMPANY
SEE WHERE THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
AND THE AMERICAN ECONOMY IS
HEADED AND THEY WANT TO BE A
LEADER THEY WANT TO GET OUT IN
FRONT OF THAT. BUT I THINK
THAT CORPORATE LEADERSHIP THEN
NEEDS TO TRANSLATE INTO
POLICIES THAT CAN BRING THE
WHOLE ECONOMY A LONG AND SO ONE
OF THE THINGS WE ASKED THE
COMPANY SAYS DON'T JUST.
DON'T DON'T JUST PUT THESE
POLICIES OUT AND MAKE YOUR OWN
COMMITMENTS THAT'S REALLY
CRITICAL. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO
SEE ON CAPITOL HILL WE WANT TO
SEE YOU
ADVOCATING IN STATE
LEGISLATURES FOR THE KINDS OF
POLICIES THAT ARE GOING TO
LIMIT AND AND EVENTUALLY
ELIMINATE CARBON POLLUTION AND
CREATE THE INCENTIVES FOR THE
WHOLE ECONOMY TO
GET THERE.
>> AND THEN WE'VE ALSO SEEN A
BIG PUSH TOWARDS PLANT-BASED
MEATS EVEN LAB GROWN MEAT TO
TRY TO REDUCE THE CARBON
EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH
RAISING ANIMALS WITH THAT SORT
OF AG
CULTURE TO WHAT EXTENT WILL
PLANT BASED MEAT AND THAT
INDUSTRY REALLY PLAY
A ROLE AND REDUCING CARBON
EMISSIONS SINCE WE KNOW THAT IS
ONE OF THE BIGGEST INCENTIVES
FROM THOSE COMPANIES IN DRAWING
NEW CONSUMERS IS THAT
ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS.
>> WELL I THINK THAT THIS IS A
GREAT EXAMPLE OF INNOVATION OF
RESPONDING TO AN OPPORTUNITY
THAT'S OUT THERE
I YOU KNOW I I MEAN I HAD
SOMEBODY STANDING I I LOVE ME
AND I I HAD SOME OF THOSE
PRODUCTS AND THEY'RE REALLY AND
THAT JUST
IS ABOUT GIVING CONSUMERS MORE
CHOICE IT'S ABOUT PROVIDING
INNOVATION CAN BE HEALTHIER FOR
FOLKS WHO
WANT THAT. BUT IT'S REALLY
ABOUT I THINK INCREASING CHOICE
AND MAKING SURE AND WE'RE ON
A PATH PROTECTING
OUR PLANET WE'RE DOING THAT IN
WAYS THAT ALSO PROMOTE
PROSPERITY AND PROMOTE
INNOVATION AND AND CONSUMER
CHOICE I THINK I THINK THAT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT AND I THINK
THAT THE EXAMPLE YOU GIVE US
ONE OF THE REALLY INTERESTING
EXAMPLES OF INNOVATION THAT
MAYBE 20 YEARS AGO. WHAT IT
SOUNDED ALMOST LIKE SCIENCE
FICTION BUT HERE WE ARE WE'VE
GOT THOSE