Friday, March 29, 2024

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to attend UN Climate Change Conference

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy will be in Paris from Dec. 5 to 10 for the second week of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference to discuss American progress and the need for international cooperation.

The conference comes as the United States has made significant strides to address climate change, including the Clean Power Plan, which was finalized in August. The plan is the nation’s first regulation on new and existing fossil fuel-fired power plants and is expected to cut carbon pollution from the industry to 32 percent less than the 2005 levels by 2030.

The Clean Power Plan is the result of six years’ worth of work by the Obama administration. It promises public health benefits due to reductions in smog and soot, which are expected to prevent thousands of premature deaths and hospital trips as well as tens of thousands of asthma attacks. It will also benefit Americans by reducing missed days of work and school. The plan also stands to promote the country’s economy, offering new and increased opportunities for clean energy development.

McCarthy will discuss the Clean Power Plan and other U.S. efforts at the Climate Change Conference, and impress the importance of climate targets for all countries.