Obama's fight against climate change: Five big steps

Washington: US President Barack Obama on Monday unveiled what he called the “biggest, most important step we've ever taken” to fight climate change, amidst an overwhelming opposition from several states nationwide.

Here are five big takeaways from Obama's climate plan-

• The new plan aims to cut carbon emissions from the power sector by 32% by 2030.
• According to the revised plan, all US states are asked by the EPA to design their own plans to reach carbon reduction goals assigned to them by 2030. If the states fail to submit their plans by September of 2016, the EPA will impose its own plan upon them unless the state applies for extension period to finish its plan.
• Obama proposes the plan to taking 166 million cars off roads in terms of environmental impact.
• Under the new plan, the White House would encourage a drastic shift from the use of coal towards renewable energy in generating electricity, setting the target for renewables` share of electric generation at 28 percent of all capacity.
• The plan also includes an incentive program for states to get a head start on meeting standards on early deployment of renewable energy and low-income energy efficiency.

The plan is being viewed by many as the strongest rule to fight climate change in a country where many politicians still dismiss the notion that human activities play a vital role in global warming and is likely to face fierce opposition from numerous sides.

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