The Biden administration has set ambitious new targets to slash US greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris climate accord, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. The move is seen as a symbolic effort to keep the US on track to meet global climate goals, despite Trump's vow to pull the country out of the agreement.

The new targets aim to cut net emissions by 61-66 percent in 2035 compared to a 2005 baseline, and reduce methane emissions by at least 35 percent by the same date. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is emitted by livestock, landfills, and leaking oil and gas infrastructure. The targets are more ambitious than the initial goal set by Biden in 2021, which aimed to reduce emissions by 50-52 percent by 2030.

The move is significant, given Trump's stance on climate change. The President-elect has called climate change a "hoax" and has vowed to pull the US out of the Paris agreement. However, the Biden administration's efforts are designed to encourage a grassroots movement in defiance of Trump's national agenda. As White House national climate adviser Ali Zaidi noted, "Across the country, we see decarbonization efforts to reduce our emissions in many ways achieving escape velocity, an inexorable path, a place from which we will not turn back."

The good news is that the US is already making progress in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. New solar and onshore wind farms have become cheaper sources of electricity than coal or gas, and around 95 percent of new sources of electricity queued up to connect to US power grids is carbon-free. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have also authorized hundreds of billions of dollars of funding for clean energy. Current policies put the US on track to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by around 40 percent by the end of the decade compared to 2005.

However, despite this progress, the US is still the second-biggest climate polluter after China, and the planet is about 1.2 degrees warmer today than it was before humans started pumping out massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate disasters such as intense storms, wildfires, droughts, and other extreme weather events are already being felt, and things could get worse with Trump's plans to dismantle environmental policies and increase oil and gas drilling.

Fortunately, local leaders have been taking action to address climate change, even in the absence of federal support. State and cities crafted their own climate plans, and a coalition called We Are Still In was formed after Trump moved to take the US out of the Paris agreement. According to a University of Maryland analysis, local action can reduce US greenhouse gas pollution by 48-60 percent by 2035 even without federal support.

In conclusion, the Biden administration's ambitious climate targets are a crucial step in the right direction, but the real work will be done at the local level. As the US prepares for a new era of climate policy under Trump, it's clear that grassroots movements and local leadership will be key to keeping the country on track to meet its global climate goals.