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From day one of his Administration, President Biden pledged to restore U.S. leadership and strengthen our partnerships to make America more secure and prosperous. Taking office amid a devastating pandemic that had upended the global economy, President Biden recognized that we needed to work with partners to tackle big cross-border challenges.  

President Biden’s leadership at the G20 has demonstrated the dividends that U.S. engagement yields for America and the world.  Through the G20, the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered a landmark agreement to stop the race to the bottom in corporate taxation; launched a new fund to address pandemic threats; and helped unlock hundreds of billions of dollars of resources at the international financial institutions to advance development progress and tackle global challenges.

At the Rio Summit, President Biden continued this legacy of leadership by rallying his fellow leaders to unlock space for developing countries to invest in their futures, accelerate the global clean energy transition, tackle global health threats, and champion an inclusive digital transformation.  He also built on the United States’ longstanding leadership on food security by joining the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.

President Biden continued his push for peace and stability around the world.  He condemned Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine – which has exacerbated the crises facing developing countries – and affirmed the United States’ strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called on his fellow leaders to do the same.  President Biden also affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself while emphasizing that how it defends itself – even as Hamas cruelly hides among civilians – matters.  He highlighted U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza and made clear that the United States is pushing for a ceasefire deal that ensures Israel’s security, brings the hostages home, and ends the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.  President Biden asked his fellow leaders to increase pressure on Hamas to stop refusing this deal.

Driving sustainable growth and development in developing countries

President Biden has built his economic agenda around the United States investing at home and unlocking additional resources to support investments in developing countries around the world.  

Championing concessional finance from the World Bank for the poorest countries.  President Biden announced the U.S. intent for a substantial increase in the U.S. contribution to the International Development Association (IDA), the arm of the World Bank that supports the poorest and most vulnerable countries.  The Biden Administration intends to pledge $4 billion over three years to the ongoing IDA replenishment, subject to Congressional approval.  A better and bigger IDA is critical to unlocking space for developing countries to invest in their futures.  President Biden has heard loud and clear the calls from developing countries for more concessional financing and a strong IDA replenishment in December.  This pledge will sustain U.S. leadership as the largest historical donor to IDA and joins other countries that are stepping up to support IDA recipients with critical, sustainable investments in their development.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden called on existing donors to follow the U.S. example by increasing support and on new donors to start contributing.  

Equipping the multilateral development banks (MDBs) to address global challenges.  The Biden-Harris Administration has spearheaded a broad coalition to equip the MDBs to better address global challenges like climate change, pandemics, and fragility and conflict.  Over the last two years, this leadership has led to enormous strides in reforming the MDBs’ visions, incentives, and operations to make them more efficient and responsive to countries’ development needs.  Reforms already identified could boost lending capacity by up to nearly $360 billion over the next decade, giving the MDBs the resources they need to tackle global challenges with greater speed and scale.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden reiterated his request for Congress to approve funding to boost World Bank lending capacity by $36 billion, recognized the G20 members that have made their own contributions to this U.S.-led effort, and called on fellow leaders to match this with their own contributions.   

Unlocking space for developing countries to invest in sustainable growth and development.  High debt service burdens are preventing developing countries from making critical investments in their futures – many low-income countries spend more servicing their debt than on health, education, and social programs combined.  Building on the Nairobi-Washington Vision that he launched with President Ruto of Kenya in May 2024, President Biden called on the G20 to provide a pathway for sustainable growth for these countries that would bring together the international community to provide stepped-up support for countries facing constraints from debt servicing burdens, but whose debts are sustainable.  Under this plan, the IMF and MDBs would deliver enhanced support packages that incorporate ambitious reform and investment agendas; bilateral creditors would provide net positive financial flows to end free-riding; and MDBs and G20 countries would deploy their tools to unlock private financing.  As part of this plan, the U.S. government is employing its multilateral and bilateral tools to step up financing for vulnerable countries.  This includes finalizing the U.S. contribution of $21 billion to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust.

Calling for faster debt relief for countries with unsustainable burdens.  President Biden pushed for making the debt restructuring process faster and more predictable to reduce the hardship on the people of indebted countries.  President Biden called on G20 countries to swiftly provide debt relief to countries who need it and advocated for accelerating the restructuring process, including by improving the G20 Common Framework.  

Furthering the global clean energy transition

After a historic visit to the Amazon that highlighted his legacy of spearheading the most significant domestic climate and conservation action in history and leading global efforts to tackle the climate crisis through a historic pledge to increase U.S. international climate finance to over $11 billion a year by 2024, President Biden rallied G20 leaders in Rio to raise their climate ambition and develop innovative solutions to support the clean energy transition.

Launching the Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the Energy Transition.  Presidents Biden and Lula announced a new partnership to elevate ongoing bilateral efforts in clean energy production, clean energy supply chain development, and green industrialization.  This partnership builds on longstanding efforts under the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum and the Strategic Minerals Dialogue. This partnership will also help mobilize private sector investment in the energy transition through engagement under the Clean Energy Industry Dialogue and the recently signed cooperation framework agreement between the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and BNDES, the Brazilian Development Bank. 

Globalizing the U.S. clean energy industrial strategy.  The United States has demonstrated that investing in the energy transition is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock clean growth, good jobs, high-standard investment, and energy security.  This vision is reflected in a number of bilateral clean energy industrial partnerships President Biden has established, including the new Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the Energy Transition, Roadmap For U.S.-India Initiative to Build Safe and Secure Global Clean Energy Supply Chains, and U.S.-Kenya Climate and Clean Energy Industrial Partnership.  These efforts are further cemented in the multilateral Clean Energy Finance Mission Statement released on the margins of the G20 under the leadership of the United Kingdom and Brazil to mobilize finance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) for green industrialization and building resilient and diverse clean energy supply chains. 

U.S. leadership in financing the global clean energy transition.  Alongside the Clean Energy Finance Mission Statement, the United States announced a major $325 million contribution to the Clean Technology Fund, a highly concessional fund designed to support the scaling and diversification of clean energy supply chains in eligible EMDEs.  The United States has also separately extended $2 billion in shareholder guarantees through the World Bank to catalyze India’s and Indonesia’s investments in the clean energy economy.

Reforming the multilateral climate funds.  After leading the effort to equip the MDBs to better address global challenges like climate change, the United States is working with others to reform the vertical climate and environmental funds as the next frontier in the evolution of the international financial architecture.  Building on an independent review of the funds launched by the G20 this year, G20 leaders encouraged the funds to work together to unlock their full potential and improve access, including through enhanced cooperation with the MDBs.  This call to action can pave the way for the funds to deliver finance at the speed and scale the climate crisis demands.

Strengthening the global health architecture

When he came into office, President Biden prioritized ending the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future pandemics.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden built on this legacy to continue tackling the threat of pandemics and delivering for global health.

Delivering for the Pandemic Fund.  President Biden led the G20 to establish the Pandemic Fund in 2022 to help developing countries build capacity to prepare, prevent, and respond to the next pandemic.  In its first two years, the Pandemic Fund has awarded $885 million in grants across 75 countries, including nearly $129 million for countries affected by the mpox public health emergency, and mobilized an additional $6 billion in co-financing and co-investment for project implementation, delivering support that is making America – and the world – safer from the next pandemic threat.  The United States is championing an ambitious $2 billion replenishment of the Pandemic Fund and leading the way by pledging up to $667 million by 2026, subject to Congressional approval.  At the Rio Summit, the United States led a G20 call for new and increased contributions to reach the funding goal.

Responding to the threat of mpox.  The United States galvanized the G20 to commit political and financial support to the mpox response and support the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank in creating a global mpox response financing tracker to identify and address gaps.  The financing tracker, which will be launched soon, shows that countries have stepped up quickly, providing 90 percent of the resources needed to respond, including more than $540 million from the United States.  The United States has also pledged to provide more than one million mpox vaccine doses to the response.  Nearly 400,000 doses have already been allocated through WHO and Africa CDC’s Access and Allocation mechanism; the remaining doses will be allocated as guided by country requirements.  

Restoring immunization services to better than pre-pandemic levels.  In June, the United States pledged at least $1.58 billion over the next five years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the first-ever five-year pledge and the largest-ever U.S. pledge.  In Rio, President Biden called on other countries to come forward with their own ambitious pledges in support of Gavi’s goal of vaccinating an additional 500 million children and saving at least 8 million lives.  In September 2024, DFC expanded its donor liquidity partnership with Gavi, building on support put in place during COVID-19.  The $1 billion Rapid Financing Facility will allow Gavi to access funds from donors making new pledges for pandemic response or routine immunization much faster. 

Ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as public health threats by 2030.  The Biden-Harris Administration has invested more than $26 billion in the HIV/AIDS response.  Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Administration has supported more than 20 million people on lifesaving treatment and reached millions more with effective HIV prevention programs.  In 2022, President Biden led the largest ever replenishment for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (Global Fund), raising more than $15.7 billion in donor pledges, including a U.S. pledge of $6 billion over three years.  President Biden also sustained robust bilateral funding for the President’s Malaria Initiative, which provided more than $3 billion for malaria to support 30 countries who together account for around 90 percent of all malaria cases and deaths globally. 

Addressing the environmental determinants of health.  President Biden led G20 members to emphasize the importance of addressing One Health (human-animal-plant-environment) challenges such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate change.  On AMR, the Administration has invested $1 billion to prevent infections and detect and respond to AMR and has finalized policies aimed at preventing the rise of AMR due to crop pesticide use.  On climate and health, the Administration has included health as one of four key sectors for its PREPARE action plan. The over $3 billion invested through PREPARE supports resilient health systems while also supporting key life support systems such as food, water, and infrastructure.  At home, the Administration has launched a first-of-its kind National Heat Strategy and secured the commitment of more than 960 health care companies to address their emissions and climate resilience.  

Leading the fight against poverty and hunger

President Biden built on the United States’ longstanding leadership on global food security.

Accelerating progress on global food security.  In the face of a protracted global food security crisis, the Biden-Harris Administration has led the fight against global hunger.  Since 2021, the United States has committed more than $20 billion in funding in more than 47 countries to support emergency interventions and build more resilient and sustainable food systems to mitigate against future global food shocks.  In 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration rallied more than 100 countries to endorse the UN Roadmap for Global Food Security, affirming the importance of tackling global food insecurity as an economic and national security imperative.

Launching G20 action on hunger and poverty.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden joined G20 leaders to launch the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty to provide sustained political momentum and facilitate better alignment of financial resources and knowledge-sharing in support of efforts with a proven track record of impact in accelerating the eradication of poverty.  As a member of the Alliance, the United States highlighted existing U.S.-led efforts to reduce malnutrition, increase women’s access to land tenure, and promote private sector investments in improved seed varieties globally.  President Biden also highlighted a number of domestic efforts to lift millions of people in the United States out of poverty through the Social Security program, nutrition assistance, refundable tax credits, and benefits for disabled Americans.

Combatting corruption to drive sustainable and equitable development.  Recognizing that corruption and weak governance impede the Sustainable Development Goals, the United States is working with partners to press for stronger action to prevent and counter corruption, including better enforcement by all G20 countries of foreign bribery laws and ensuring transparent, inclusive, and accountable public institutions.

Empowering workers

In September 2023, Presidents Biden and Lula launched the Partnership for Workers’ Rights, the first joint U.S.-Brazil initiative to advance the rights of working people around the world.  The Partnership has tangibly improved the lives of workers through new initiatives and over $20 million of programming supported by the United States that: 

Facilitated collaboration to prevent heat-related illnesses and promoted the use of mobile apps and other tools to help workers know when they are at risk of heat-related illnesses.   

Advanced collaborative efforts with businesses, governments, and unions to tackle the root causes of forced labor and promote forced labor remediation, including in the cattle, coffee, gold mining, charcoal production, and other industries and supply chains. 

Supported efforts to strengthen worker engagement in climate policy and promoted unionization and collective bargaining in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors.  

Supporting an inclusive and equitable digital future for all

Recognizing the potential of the digital transformation to empower people globally, President Biden advocated for an inclusive and equitable digital future for all in Rio.  

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable development and worker empowerment.  President Biden joined other G20 Leaders in advocating to leverage the potential of AI to help solve global challenges, enable worker well-being, and ensure AI technologies are developed and used responsibly.  The United States has demonstrated its commitment to achieving this goal by delivering on President Biden’s Executive Order on AI, particularly the AI in Global Development Playbook and the Global AI Research Agenda. 

Making progress on universal and meaningful connectivity.  President Biden proudly joined other G20 leaders in recognizing universal and meaningful connectivity as key to achieving digital inclusion.  To help achieve this, DFC has approved a combined $630 million in financing for the Brazilian digital infrastructure company V.tal Rede Neutra De Telecomunicacoes S.A. (V.tal) to support the expansion of its fiber optic network across Brazil.  DFC’s financing will enable more than 1 million homes and 4,000 schools to be connected to the Internet by 2027.

Investing through the Women in the Digital Economy Initiative.  G20 leaders reaffirmed the historic commitment from the 2023 G20 Leaders’ Summit to halve the digital gender gap by 2030.  In furtherance of this commitment, the United States announced the first round of global funding awards through the Women in the Digital Economy Initiative’s aligned fund.  Ten organizations, spanning eight countries across East Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, have been selected for their innovative solutions and impact in tackling the gender digital divide.  These organizations will address barriers to equitable digital inclusion, such as access to affordable devices and online experiences; availability of relevant products and tools; digital literacy and skills; safety and security; and data and insights.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Continuing a Legacy of Leadership at the G20 appeared first on The White House.

From day one of his Administration, President Biden pledged to restore U.S. leadership and strengthen our partnerships to make America more secure and prosperous. Taking office amid a devastating pandemic that had upended the global economy, President Biden recognized that we needed to work with partners to tackle big cross-border challenges.  

President Biden’s leadership at the G20 has demonstrated the dividends that U.S. engagement yields for America and the world.  Through the G20, the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered a landmark agreement to stop the race to the bottom in corporate taxation; launched a new fund to address pandemic threats; and helped unlock hundreds of billions of dollars of resources at the international financial institutions to advance development progress and tackle global challenges.

At the Rio Summit, President Biden continued this legacy of leadership by rallying his fellow leaders to unlock space for developing countries to invest in their futures, accelerate the global clean energy transition, tackle global health threats, and champion an inclusive digital transformation.  He also built on the United States’ longstanding leadership on food security by joining the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.

President Biden continued his push for peace and stability around the world.  He condemned Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine – which has exacerbated the crises facing developing countries – and affirmed the United States’ strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called on his fellow leaders to do the same.  President Biden also affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself while emphasizing that how it defends itself – even as Hamas cruelly hides among civilians – matters.  He highlighted U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza and made clear that the United States is pushing for a ceasefire deal that ensures Israel’s security, brings the hostages home, and ends the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.  President Biden asked his fellow leaders to increase pressure on Hamas to stop refusing this deal.

Driving sustainable growth and development in developing countries

President Biden has built his economic agenda around the United States investing at home and unlocking additional resources to support investments in developing countries around the world.  

Championing concessional finance from the World Bank for the poorest countries.  President Biden announced the U.S. intent for a substantial increase in the U.S. contribution to the International Development Association (IDA), the arm of the World Bank that supports the poorest and most vulnerable countries.  The Biden Administration intends to pledge $4 billion over three years to the ongoing IDA replenishment, subject to Congressional approval.  A better and bigger IDA is critical to unlocking space for developing countries to invest in their futures.  President Biden has heard loud and clear the calls from developing countries for more concessional financing and a strong IDA replenishment in December.  This pledge will sustain U.S. leadership as the largest historical donor to IDA and joins other countries that are stepping up to support IDA recipients with critical, sustainable investments in their development.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden called on existing donors to follow the U.S. example by increasing support and on new donors to start contributing.  

Equipping the multilateral development banks (MDBs) to address global challenges.  The Biden-Harris Administration has spearheaded a broad coalition to equip the MDBs to better address global challenges like climate change, pandemics, and fragility and conflict.  Over the last two years, this leadership has led to enormous strides in reforming the MDBs’ visions, incentives, and operations to make them more efficient and responsive to countries’ development needs.  Reforms already identified could boost lending capacity by up to nearly $360 billion over the next decade, giving the MDBs the resources they need to tackle global challenges with greater speed and scale.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden reiterated his request for Congress to approve funding to boost World Bank lending capacity by $36 billion, recognized the G20 members that have made their own contributions to this U.S.-led effort, and called on fellow leaders to match this with their own contributions.   

Unlocking space for developing countries to invest in sustainable growth and development.  High debt service burdens are preventing developing countries from making critical investments in their futures – many low-income countries spend more servicing their debt than on health, education, and social programs combined.  Building on the Nairobi-Washington Vision that he launched with President Ruto of Kenya in May 2024, President Biden called on the G20 to provide a pathway for sustainable growth for these countries that would bring together the international community to provide stepped-up support for countries facing constraints from debt servicing burdens, but whose debts are sustainable.  Under this plan, the IMF and MDBs would deliver enhanced support packages that incorporate ambitious reform and investment agendas; bilateral creditors would provide net positive financial flows to end free-riding; and MDBs and G20 countries would deploy their tools to unlock private financing.  As part of this plan, the U.S. government is employing its multilateral and bilateral tools to step up financing for vulnerable countries.  This includes finalizing the U.S. contribution of $21 billion to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust.

Calling for faster debt relief for countries with unsustainable burdens.  President Biden pushed for making the debt restructuring process faster and more predictable to reduce the hardship on the people of indebted countries.  President Biden called on G20 countries to swiftly provide debt relief to countries who need it and advocated for accelerating the restructuring process, including by improving the G20 Common Framework.  

Furthering the global clean energy transition

After a historic visit to the Amazon that highlighted his legacy of spearheading the most significant domestic climate and conservation action in history and leading global efforts to tackle the climate crisis through a historic pledge to increase U.S. international climate finance to over $11 billion a year by 2024, President Biden rallied G20 leaders in Rio to raise their climate ambition and develop innovative solutions to support the clean energy transition.

Launching the Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the Energy Transition.  Presidents Biden and Lula announced a new partnership to elevate ongoing bilateral efforts in clean energy production, clean energy supply chain development, and green industrialization.  This partnership builds on longstanding efforts under the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum and the Strategic Minerals Dialogue. This partnership will also help mobilize private sector investment in the energy transition through engagement under the Clean Energy Industry Dialogue and the recently signed cooperation framework agreement between the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and BNDES, the Brazilian Development Bank. 

Globalizing the U.S. clean energy industrial strategy.  The United States has demonstrated that investing in the energy transition is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock clean growth, good jobs, high-standard investment, and energy security.  This vision is reflected in a number of bilateral clean energy industrial partnerships President Biden has established, including the new Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the Energy Transition, Roadmap For U.S.-India Initiative to Build Safe and Secure Global Clean Energy Supply Chains, and U.S.-Kenya Climate and Clean Energy Industrial Partnership.  These efforts are further cemented in the multilateral Clean Energy Finance Mission Statement released on the margins of the G20 under the leadership of the United Kingdom and Brazil to mobilize finance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) for green industrialization and building resilient and diverse clean energy supply chains. 

U.S. leadership in financing the global clean energy transition.  Alongside the Clean Energy Finance Mission Statement, the United States announced a major $325 million contribution to the Clean Technology Fund, a highly concessional fund designed to support the scaling and diversification of clean energy supply chains in eligible EMDEs.  The United States has also separately extended $2 billion in shareholder guarantees through the World Bank to catalyze India’s and Indonesia’s investments in the clean energy economy.

Reforming the multilateral climate funds.  After leading the effort to equip the MDBs to better address global challenges like climate change, the United States is working with others to reform the vertical climate and environmental funds as the next frontier in the evolution of the international financial architecture.  Building on an independent review of the funds launched by the G20 this year, G20 leaders encouraged the funds to work together to unlock their full potential and improve access, including through enhanced cooperation with the MDBs.  This call to action can pave the way for the funds to deliver finance at the speed and scale the climate crisis demands.

Strengthening the global health architecture

When he came into office, President Biden prioritized ending the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future pandemics.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden built on this legacy to continue tackling the threat of pandemics and delivering for global health.

Delivering for the Pandemic Fund.  President Biden led the G20 to establish the Pandemic Fund in 2022 to help developing countries build capacity to prepare, prevent, and respond to the next pandemic.  In its first two years, the Pandemic Fund has awarded $885 million in grants across 75 countries, including nearly $129 million for countries affected by the mpox public health emergency, and mobilized an additional $6 billion in co-financing and co-investment for project implementation, delivering support that is making America – and the world – safer from the next pandemic threat.  The United States is championing an ambitious $2 billion replenishment of the Pandemic Fund and leading the way by pledging up to $667 million by 2026, subject to Congressional approval.  At the Rio Summit, the United States led a G20 call for new and increased contributions to reach the funding goal.

Responding to the threat of mpox.  The United States galvanized the G20 to commit political and financial support to the mpox response and support the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank in creating a global mpox response financing tracker to identify and address gaps.  The financing tracker, which will be launched soon, shows that countries have stepped up quickly, providing 90 percent of the resources needed to respond, including more than $540 million from the United States.  The United States has also pledged to provide more than one million mpox vaccine doses to the response.  Nearly 400,000 doses have already been allocated through WHO and Africa CDC’s Access and Allocation mechanism; the remaining doses will be allocated as guided by country requirements.  

Restoring immunization services to better than pre-pandemic levels.  In June, the United States pledged at least $1.58 billion over the next five years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the first-ever five-year pledge and the largest-ever U.S. pledge.  In Rio, President Biden called on other countries to come forward with their own ambitious pledges in support of Gavi’s goal of vaccinating an additional 500 million children and saving at least 8 million lives.  In September 2024, DFC expanded its donor liquidity partnership with Gavi, building on support put in place during COVID-19.  The $1 billion Rapid Financing Facility will allow Gavi to access funds from donors making new pledges for pandemic response or routine immunization much faster. 

Ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as public health threats by 2030.  The Biden-Harris Administration has invested more than $26 billion in the HIV/AIDS response.  Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Administration has supported more than 20 million people on lifesaving treatment and reached millions more with effective HIV prevention programs.  In 2022, President Biden led the largest ever replenishment for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (Global Fund), raising more than $15.7 billion in donor pledges, including a U.S. pledge of $6 billion over three years.  President Biden also sustained robust bilateral funding for the President’s Malaria Initiative, which provided more than $3 billion for malaria to support 30 countries who together account for around 90 percent of all malaria cases and deaths globally. 

Addressing the environmental determinants of health.  President Biden led G20 members to emphasize the importance of addressing One Health (human-animal-plant-environment) challenges such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate change.  On AMR, the Administration has invested $1 billion to prevent infections and detect and respond to AMR and has finalized policies aimed at preventing the rise of AMR due to crop pesticide use.  On climate and health, the Administration has included health as one of four key sectors for its PREPARE action plan. The over $3 billion invested through PREPARE supports resilient health systems while also supporting key life support systems such as food, water, and infrastructure.  At home, the Administration has launched a first-of-its kind National Heat Strategy and secured the commitment of more than 960 health care companies to address their emissions and climate resilience.  

Leading the fight against poverty and hunger

President Biden built on the United States’ longstanding leadership on global food security.

Accelerating progress on global food security.  In the face of a protracted global food security crisis, the Biden-Harris Administration has led the fight against global hunger.  Since 2021, the United States has committed more than $20 billion in funding in more than 47 countries to support emergency interventions and build more resilient and sustainable food systems to mitigate against future global food shocks.  In 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration rallied more than 100 countries to endorse the UN Roadmap for Global Food Security, affirming the importance of tackling global food insecurity as an economic and national security imperative.

Launching G20 action on hunger and poverty.  At the Rio Summit, President Biden joined G20 leaders to launch the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty to provide sustained political momentum and facilitate better alignment of financial resources and knowledge-sharing in support of efforts with a proven track record of impact in accelerating the eradication of poverty.  As a member of the Alliance, the United States highlighted existing U.S.-led efforts to reduce malnutrition, increase women’s access to land tenure, and promote private sector investments in improved seed varieties globally.  President Biden also highlighted a number of domestic efforts to lift millions of people in the United States out of poverty through the Social Security program, nutrition assistance, refundable tax credits, and benefits for disabled Americans.

Combatting corruption to drive sustainable and equitable development.  Recognizing that corruption and weak governance impede the Sustainable Development Goals, the United States is working with partners to press for stronger action to prevent and counter corruption, including better enforcement by all G20 countries of foreign bribery laws and ensuring transparent, inclusive, and accountable public institutions.

Empowering workers

In September 2023, Presidents Biden and Lula launched the Partnership for Workers’ Rights, the first joint U.S.-Brazil initiative to advance the rights of working people around the world.  The Partnership has tangibly improved the lives of workers through new initiatives and over $20 million of programming supported by the United States that: 

Facilitated collaboration to prevent heat-related illnesses and promoted the use of mobile apps and other tools to help workers know when they are at risk of heat-related illnesses.   

Advanced collaborative efforts with businesses, governments, and unions to tackle the root causes of forced labor and promote forced labor remediation, including in the cattle, coffee, gold mining, charcoal production, and other industries and supply chains. 

Supported efforts to strengthen worker engagement in climate policy and promoted unionization and collective bargaining in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors.  

Supporting an inclusive and equitable digital future for all

Recognizing the potential of the digital transformation to empower people globally, President Biden advocated for an inclusive and equitable digital future for all in Rio.  

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable development and worker empowerment.  President Biden joined other G20 Leaders in advocating to leverage the potential of AI to help solve global challenges, enable worker well-being, and ensure AI technologies are developed and used responsibly.  The United States has demonstrated its commitment to achieving this goal by delivering on President Biden’s Executive Order on AI, particularly the AI in Global Development Playbook and the Global AI Research Agenda. 

Making progress on universal and meaningful connectivity.  President Biden proudly joined other G20 leaders in recognizing universal and meaningful connectivity as key to achieving digital inclusion.  To help achieve this, DFC has approved a combined $630 million in financing for the Brazilian digital infrastructure company V.tal Rede Neutra De Telecomunicacoes S.A. (V.tal) to support the expansion of its fiber optic network across Brazil.  DFC’s financing will enable more than 1 million homes and 4,000 schools to be connected to the Internet by 2027.

Investing through the Women in the Digital Economy Initiative.  G20 leaders reaffirmed the historic commitment from the 2023 G20 Leaders’ Summit to halve the digital gender gap by 2030.  In furtherance of this commitment, the United States announced the first round of global funding awards through the Women in the Digital Economy Initiative’s aligned fund.  Ten organizations, spanning eight countries across East Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, have been selected for their innovative solutions and impact in tackling the gender digital divide.  These organizations will address barriers to equitable digital inclusion, such as access to affordable devices and online experiences; availability of relevant products and tools; digital literacy and skills; safety and security; and data and insights.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Continuing a Legacy of Leadership at the G20 appeared first on The White House.

Establishing a Climate-Forward Clean Energy Industrial Partnership

Brazil and the United States share the goal of creating more competitive, clean, fair, and resilient economies by promoting the clean energy transition in a way that fosters  economic growth and the generation of high-quality jobs, while reducing emissions and keeping our 1.5°C goals within reach, consistent with the Paris Agreement. Along with other domestic priorities, these objectives align with the following public policy agendas in both countries:

• Brazil has recently launched its policy of development called Nova Indústria that seeks to strengthen Brazil’s industrial capacity and supply chains, including in bioeconomy decarbonization and energy security. Brazil also has, among other policies, the Ecological Transformation Program, the Fuels of the Future Program, the National Plan for Energy Transitions (PLANTE), and the National Hydrogen Program (PNH2).

• The United States is implementing ambitious pieces of legislation, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which contain significant incentives to diversify clean energy supply chains and accelerate the growth of both clean power generation and clean energy technology manufacturing, including clean hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel.

Brazil and the United States have immense potential to lead the global energy transition on some of its most promising fronts. This new partnership presents a strategic opportunity to strengthen bilateral cooperation on clean industrial development, leveraging complementarities across both our public and private sectors. The two sides announce their intent, in particular, to focus coordination across three pillars:

1. Clean energy production and deployment: accelerate and expand clean energy production and deployment, particularly to harness Brazil and the United States’ vast clean and renewable resources, including wind, solar, hydropower, and potentially, other biocapacity resources. This would accelerate efforts to decarbonize the power, transportation, and industrial sectors.

2. Clean energy technology supply chain development: increase cooperation on innovation, workforce training, and project development for clean technologies, including efforts to manufacture solar and wind components, long-duration storage batteries, and zero and low-emission vehicles and components; produce clean hydrogen; increase production, processing, and recycling of critical minerals; and scale carbon management technologies.

3. Green industrialization: advance efforts to decarbonize manufacturing and industrial sectors writ large to attract investments from global companies, and drive closer coordination across Brazilian and U.S. private sector partners to achieve net-zero emissions in their supply chains, as well as position our companies to effectively compete in a world where global trade will increasingly account for embedded emissions. 

Brazil and the United States, through a leader-level partnership around these three priorities, intend to align incentives and mobilize public, private, and multilateral development bank (MDB) financing to generate a myriad of shared benefits, such as creating local clean energy jobs that empower communities and workers; integrating and expanding clean energy supply chains; advancing clean energy technological development; and stimulating new investments, including in the areas of climate resilience and combatting deforestation. The partnership intends to serve as a framework to elevate and coordinate the strong existing collaboration between Brazilian and U.S. institutions, including the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum, the Fazenda-Treasury Climate Partnership, the U.S.-Brazil Climate and Clean Technology Plan, the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, the U.S.-Brazil Clean Energy Industry Dialogue, the U.S.-Brazil Climate Change Working Group, and the U.S.-Brazil Strategic Minerals Dialogue.

Through this partnership, announced by Presidents Lula and Biden, Brazil and the United States intend to mobilize all relevant government agencies in our countries to shape and accelerate just and inclusive energy transitions and provide the needed signals for public and private sector stakeholders to fully participate in this effort.

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Establishing a Climate-Forward Clean Energy Industrial Partnership

Brazil and the United States share the goal of creating more competitive, clean, fair, and resilient economies by promoting the clean energy transition in a way that fosters  economic growth and the generation of high-quality jobs, while reducing emissions and keeping our 1.5°C goals within reach, consistent with the Paris Agreement. Along with other domestic priorities, these objectives align with the following public policy agendas in both countries:

• Brazil has recently launched its policy of development called Nova Indústria that seeks to strengthen Brazil’s industrial capacity and supply chains, including in bioeconomy decarbonization and energy security. Brazil also has, among other policies, the Ecological Transformation Program, the Fuels of the Future Program, the National Plan for Energy Transitions (PLANTE), and the National Hydrogen Program (PNH2).

• The United States is implementing ambitious pieces of legislation, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which contain significant incentives to diversify clean energy supply chains and accelerate the growth of both clean power generation and clean energy technology manufacturing, including clean hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel.

Brazil and the United States have immense potential to lead the global energy transition on some of its most promising fronts. This new partnership presents a strategic opportunity to strengthen bilateral cooperation on clean industrial development, leveraging complementarities across both our public and private sectors. The two sides announce their intent, in particular, to focus coordination across three pillars:

1. Clean energy production and deployment: accelerate and expand clean energy production and deployment, particularly to harness Brazil and the United States’ vast clean and renewable resources, including wind, solar, hydropower, and potentially, other biocapacity resources. This would accelerate efforts to decarbonize the power, transportation, and industrial sectors.

2. Clean energy technology supply chain development: increase cooperation on innovation, workforce training, and project development for clean technologies, including efforts to manufacture solar and wind components, long-duration storage batteries, and zero and low-emission vehicles and components; produce clean hydrogen; increase production, processing, and recycling of critical minerals; and scale carbon management technologies.

3. Green industrialization: advance efforts to decarbonize manufacturing and industrial sectors writ large to attract investments from global companies, and drive closer coordination across Brazilian and U.S. private sector partners to achieve net-zero emissions in their supply chains, as well as position our companies to effectively compete in a world where global trade will increasingly account for embedded emissions. 

Brazil and the United States, through a leader-level partnership around these three priorities, intend to align incentives and mobilize public, private, and multilateral development bank (MDB) financing to generate a myriad of shared benefits, such as creating local clean energy jobs that empower communities and workers; integrating and expanding clean energy supply chains; advancing clean energy technological development; and stimulating new investments, including in the areas of climate resilience and combatting deforestation. The partnership intends to serve as a framework to elevate and coordinate the strong existing collaboration between Brazilian and U.S. institutions, including the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum, the Fazenda-Treasury Climate Partnership, the U.S.-Brazil Climate and Clean Technology Plan, the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, the U.S.-Brazil Clean Energy Industry Dialogue, the U.S.-Brazil Climate Change Working Group, and the U.S.-Brazil Strategic Minerals Dialogue.

Through this partnership, announced by Presidents Lula and Biden, Brazil and the United States intend to mobilize all relevant government agencies in our countries to shape and accelerate just and inclusive energy transitions and provide the needed signals for public and private sector stakeholders to fully participate in this effort.

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Museum of Modern Art
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

11:26 A.M. BRT

THE PRESIDENT:  (In progress) everyone around this table.  It’s going to take all of us — time.  It’s going to take all of us and the ability to step up to take on responsibility.

First — it seems to me there’s certain key steps.  First, we have to invest at large scale to help countries meet Sustainable Development Goals and tackle gloma- — global challenges.  We’ve made good progress boosting the firepower of multilateral development banks so they have more resources to address the challenges like pandemics and climate change.

Now we need to make sure the World Bank can continue its work in the most vulnerable countries.  I’m proud to announce the United States is pledging $4 billion over the next three years to the World Bank’s International Development Association.  As my friend Ajay tells you, the IDA is a first responder to the world’s poorest countries.  I encourage everyone around this table to increase their pledges in December.

In addition, we have to mobilize private capital at scale.  I’m proud of my country’s work in this fund, including mobilizing $60 billion through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.  That partnership will be a game changer for food security, especially in the Lobito Corridor in Africa.

Second, debt relief.  Too many nations are fo- — forced to choose between investing in the future and paying off their debt.  That’s why, earlier this year, I came together with Kenya to announce the Nairobi-Washington Vision. 

It boils down to a simple proposition.  For countries that are willing to make bold reforms and smart investments, we should do three things: mobilize more resources from the multilateral developments banks; two, unlock low-cost private-sector financing; and three, commit the following money into the- — to flowing money into these countries rather than taking it out during their need — their moments of need.  And I want to note: All creditors must play a role, in my view.  

Finally, we all have to work to end the conflicts and crises that are eroding progress in food security around the world. 

Ukraine.  The United States strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  Everyone around this table, in my view, should as well. 

And, by the way, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine led to the highest-record food crisis in all of history. 

On Gaza.  As I’ve said before, Israel has the right to defend itself after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, but how it defends itself — even as Hamas cruelly hides among civilians — matters a great deal. 

The United States has led the world in humanitarian aid to Gaza, and we’re going to keep pushing to accelerate a ceasefire deal that ensures Israel’s security but brings hostages home and ends the suffering of the Palestinian people and children.

I ask everyone here to increase their pressure on Hamas that is currently refusing this deal.

And on Sudan.  We’re seeing one of the world’s most humani- — serious humanitarian crisis: 8 million people on the brink of famine.  This deserves our collective outrage and our collective attention.  External actors must stop arming generals and speak with one voice to tell them, “Stop tearing your country apart.  Stop blocking aid to the Sudanese people.  Stop the violence.”

Let me close with this.  As you know, this is my last G20 Summit.  We’ve made progress together, but I urge you to keep going — and I’m sure you will, regardless of my urging or not. 

This group is — within — has within its power to usher in a new era of sustainable development, to go from billions to trillions in assistance to those who — most in need.

This all may sound lofty, but this group can lay the foundation to make that achievable.

Thank you very much, and I look forward to the rest of our discussion.  (Applause.)

11:32 A.M. BRT

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Museum of Modern Art
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

11:26 A.M. BRT

THE PRESIDENT:  (In progress) everyone around this table.  It’s going to take all of us — time.  It’s going to take all of us and the ability to step up to take on responsibility.

First — it seems to me there’s certain key steps.  First, we have to invest at large scale to help countries meet Sustainable Development Goals and tackle gloma- — global challenges.  We’ve made good progress boosting the firepower of multilateral development banks so they have more resources to address the challenges like pandemics and climate change.

Now we need to make sure the World Bank can continue its work in the most vulnerable countries.  I’m proud to announce the United States is pledging $4 billion over the next three years to the World Bank’s International Development Association.  As my friend Ajay tells you, the IDA is a first responder to the world’s poorest countries.  I encourage everyone around this table to increase their pledges in December.

In addition, we have to mobilize private capital at scale.  I’m proud of my country’s work in this fund, including mobilizing $60 billion through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.  That partnership will be a game changer for food security, especially in the Lobito Corridor in Africa.

Second, debt relief.  Too many nations are fo- — forced to choose between investing in the future and paying off their debt.  That’s why, earlier this year, I came together with Kenya to announce the Nairobi-Washington Vision. 

It boils down to a simple proposition.  For countries that are willing to make bold reforms and smart investments, we should do three things: mobilize more resources from the multilateral developments banks; two, unlock low-cost private-sector financing; and three, commit the following money into the- — to flowing money into these countries rather than taking it out during their need — their moments of need.  And I want to note: All creditors must play a role, in my view.  

Finally, we all have to work to end the conflicts and crises that are eroding progress in food security around the world. 

Ukraine.  The United States strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  Everyone around this table, in my view, should as well. 

And, by the way, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine led to the highest-record food crisis in all of history. 

On Gaza.  As I’ve said before, Israel has the right to defend itself after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, but how it defends itself — even as Hamas cruelly hides among civilians — matters a great deal. 

The United States has led the world in humanitarian aid to Gaza, and we’re going to keep pushing to accelerate a ceasefire deal that ensures Israel’s security but brings hostages home and ends the suffering of the Palestinian people and children.

I ask everyone here to increase their pressure on Hamas that is currently refusing this deal.

And on Sudan.  We’re seeing one of the world’s most humani- — serious humanitarian crisis: 8 million people on the brink of famine.  This deserves our collective outrage and our collective attention.  External actors must stop arming generals and speak with one voice to tell them, “Stop tearing your country apart.  Stop blocking aid to the Sudanese people.  Stop the violence.”

Let me close with this.  As you know, this is my last G20 Summit.  We’ve made progress together, but I urge you to keep going — and I’m sure you will, regardless of my urging or not. 

This group is — within — has within its power to usher in a new era of sustainable development, to go from billions to trillions in assistance to those who — most in need.

This all may sound lofty, but this group can lay the foundation to make that achievable.

Thank you very much, and I look forward to the rest of our discussion.  (Applause.)

11:32 A.M. BRT

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NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     Benjamin J. Cheeks, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California, vice Gonzalo P. Curiel, retired.

     Serena Raquel Murillo, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California, vice Cormac J. Carney, retired.

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NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     Benjamin J. Cheeks, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California, vice Gonzalo P. Curiel, retired.

     Serena Raquel Murillo, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California, vice Cormac J. Carney, retired.

###

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

MR. FINER:  (In progress.)

We expect President Biden will also engage with leaders one on one, and are working to schedule several pull-asides on the margins of the G20.  If those are able to come together, we’ll obviously read out those conversations if they happen.

The President will close out the day by attending the G20 Leaders Reception.

Of course, tomorrow, in addition to G20 programming, the President will have the opportunity to meet bilaterally with President Lula of Brazil.  President Biden will congratulate President Lula on Brazil’s G20 host year and reaffirm U.S. support for President Lula’s efforts to address hunger and poverty and their shared commitment to ensure no one is left behind, among other key topics such as their partnership (inaudible).

Now, let me just take a step back and reflect for a bit on the significance of the President’s participation in the G20 this year.

Nearly four years ago, President Biden took office amid a devastating global pandemic that had upended the global economy and set back development progress around the world.

Over the past four years, we’ve experienced significant economic growth in the United States, outpacing much of the rest of the world.  And at the heart of this has been President Biden’s modern industrial strategy premised on investing at home to grow the middle class, investing in ourselves, investing in global infrastructure to help our partners do the same. 

This has meant reinvigorating multilateral groups like the G20 to deliver bold action to address big cross-border challenges like climate change that are important to both President Biden and President Lula as well as others in attendance here.  These require, obviously, working with our partners around the world.

Going into the sessions today and tomorrow, President Biden is focused on, really, three key challenges in making progress:

First, making sure developing countries have the resources to make critical investments for strong, sustainable development.  The reality is that too many countries have the will but not the resources or the know-how to invest in their futures.  Most low-income countries spend more servicing their debt than on health, education, and social programs combined. 

That’s why you’ve seen President Biden press the G20 to offer countries a pathway to growth that will call on the international financial institutions, bilateral creditors, and the private sector to step up support for vulnerable countries. 

It’s also why President Biden has championed the global effort to equip the multilateral development banks to tackle global challenges like climate change, fragility, and conflict, as well as pandemics. 

Over the past two years, we’ve fundamentally reshaped and scaled up these institutions, including by identifying forums that can boost lending capacity by up to $360 billion over the next decade. 

Over the next couple of days, President Biden will highlight his funding request to unlock $36 billion in lending at the World Bank and call on G20 leaders to follow through on their pledges to join us to boost lending capacity by $100 billion. 

This is why President Biden is highlighting the need for an ambitious replenishment of the International Development Association, the World Bank’s arm that supports the poorest countries.

President Biden will announce a historic U.S. pledge during the Rio Summit and rally other leaders to step up their commitments. 

Second, we’re capping off the administration’s work to better prepare, prevent, and respond to pandemics — a core focus of President Biden’s since day one for obvious reasons, given what we inherited.

Two years ago, the President led the G20 to launch the Pandemic Fund, a landmark achievement and strong demonstration of how global leadership makes us safer.

In Rio, President Biden will rally support for the second replenishment of this Pandemic Fund to reach its $2 billion resource mobilization goal.  And we’ll be leading the way with a $667 million pledge. 

Third, we’re furthering the global clean energy transition, a critical complement to the President’s domestic climate agenda and a priority you’ve heard him talk about in Lima, in the Amazon, throughout the trip and throughout his presidency.  This starts with pressing G20 countries to make commitments to reduce emissions in line with a 1.5-degree target (inaudible) Paris Agreement.

Tomorrow, when President Biden sees President Lula, he will launch a bilateral Clean Energy Transition Partnership with Brazil, which is designed to position Brazil to reap economic benefits of the energy transition, including scaling and diversifying the supply chain. 

So, it’s a big, broad agenda, as is always the case at these G20 meetings.  That’s basically the plan for next couple days.

I’m happy to take questions.

Q   Thanks.  Can you go back to this position that (inaudible)?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Sure.  So, on the communiqué, I think just taking a step back, it’s important to understand the context of what a G20 meeting is.  Unlike the G7, which is a gathering, essentially, of likeminded countries and the United States, the G20 is a grouping that includes both some of our closest partners and allies, as well as countries that fundamentally are U.S. adversaries.  And so, a communiqué that emerges from this forum is going to be different from what you get in the context of a likeminded gathering. 

I don’t want to get ahead of the negotiations that are still ongoing about the content of this particular communiqué.  Obviously, the U.S. and our partners will be pushing for the strongest possible Ukraine language, but it goes without saying Russia is a part of this grouping, and so this will all have to be negotiated and we’ll see where it lands.

Q    Can you say anything about (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Yeah, look, I obviously have seen the reports.  I don’t have anything to confirm for you here.  But what I will say is that the United States has been clear throughout this conflict that we will make our policy decisions based on circumstances we identify on the battlefield, including, in recent days and weeks, a significant Russian escalation that involves the deployment of a foreign country’s forces on its own territory.  The United States has been clear that we will respond to that, and we’ve been clear to the Russians that we will respond to that. 

I’m not going to get into reports of what exactly — what form that response might take, precisely, for operational reasons that I think you can understand.  But this has been consistent with our approach to the entire conflict.  There are circumstances that evolve and change, and we will evolve and change (inaudible) and to allow the Ukrainians to be continue to defend their territory and their sovereignty.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Sorry, I’m having trouble hearing you.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  So, the United States closely coordinates with all our allies, especially our closest allies — Germany, obviously, among them — on all issues related to Ukraine and, frankly, a whole range of other global issues as well. 

When it comes to your question about negotiations, fundamentally, that’s not a question for the United States or for Germany; it’s a question for the government of Ukraine about when and if it will decide the terms of the negotiations with Russia.

Our policy and our approach has been to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, both throughout this administration and since the invasion took place in 2022, but particularly with the surge of assistance that President Biden announced in September through the end of the year and the end of his term.  We’re executing on that.  We’ve announced recently a drawdown package with another $450 million in assistance.  There will be more announcements like that forthcoming. 

But beyond that, decisions about negotiations will be left to the Ukrainians.  It’s their country and their people.

Q    The Kremlin said this morning that the decision of the (inaudible) weapons was throwing oil on fire in this conflict.  Can you say what the decision (inaudible)?

And, separately, can you say where President Biden discussed the long-range weapons (inaudible) with incoming President Trump (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Again, just to be super clear, I’m not confirming any decisions that have or have not been made about U.S. assistance when it comes to (inaudible). 

I will say, with regard to the comments that came out of Russia, the fire was lit by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  So, I think this notion of fuel on the fire is, frankly, a side issue to the main issue, which is Russia waging a war of aggression across a sovereign border, into Ukraine, and continuing to do so.  And we’ve seen, in addition to the North Korean forces deployment that I mentioned, a major escalation in terms of an aerial attack on infrastructure across Ukraine over the last 24 hours. 

So, I would put the question back to Russia about who’s actually putting fuel on the fire here, and I don’t think it’s the Ukrainians.

Sorry, your second question? 

Q    (Inaudible.)  Do you know if President Biden discussed (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Well, yeah — so, look, the two presidents discussed a wide range of issues, and we’ve been pretty careful not to read that conversation out in any detail.  Certainly the conversation included all of the major issues of geopolitical significance, but I’m not going to get into the details of it.

Q    Thanks.  There are reports that a text is being (inaudible) climate finance.  Is the U.S. on board with that text?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  When we have an approved text, we will come out and say so.  When it comes to climate finance, I think the most significant development of the last 24 hours was the President’s declaration yesterday that the United States has met its $11 billion pledge for international climate financing.  That’s been an important target throughout this administration.  We not only got there but we exceeded it, as the President said in the Amazon yesterday.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Yeah, so I’m not going to get in the sort of private conversations the President has with world leaders on this topic, other than to say there’s an obvious context here of a transition that is taking place in our politics and in our governance. 

The President has been, I think, very clear that his goals through the course of his entire term have been to strengthen the position of the United States in the world.  The investments that we’ve made at home are a foundational part of that.  The relationships that we’ve enhanced and improved around the world, including, obviously, in Europe, in the Indo-Pacific, and other places, are a significant part of that. 

We think we are leaving the country on a much stronger footing than we inherited it, and it will be up to a new administration to determine what to do with that vision that we believe that we are passing on.

But we have a system that’s fundamentally predicated on one president at a time.  President Biden is that president.  He will be handing off power in January, and it’ll be up to the new administration to decide what to do with it.

Q    (Inaudible) other countries that would seek to win some sort of (inaudible) incoming administration on some of the key issues that you still have, (inaudible) hostages, conflicts in the Middle East?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Look, I mean, countries will have to make their own decisions about how they react to, respond to, posture themselves according to our transition.  Fundamentally, I think our view is countries make decisions based on interests.  We have found an alignment of interests with a large number of countries in the world, including in particular our closest partners and allies.  I don’t think those interests change even if there is a transition from one U.S. administration to the next.  So, I don’t think we are expecting some major reorientation of how other countries look at the world or look at their relationship with us, but they will make those decisions for themselves based on their interests, in January.

Q    Just quickly back on the Scholz-Putin call, can you elaborate or explain how that fits with “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” which you guys have been sort of operating under?  And then, whether or not you got a heads up.  Are you supportive of a leader call taking place?  And is it still President Biden’s view that nobody on the leader level should engage with Putin at this point?

MR. FINER:  Look, fundamentally, this is a question for the German government, not the U.S. government.  Germany is a sovereign country and can do what it wants in terms of its international relations. 

What I will say is we’ve never said that “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” means that nobody should be talking to Russia.  We’ve had conversations with Russia in this administration.  Other countries have had conversations with Russia even since the invasion and (inaudible) more significant phase of the war broke out.

We’re not going to read out the substance of the conversation that Chancellor Scholz had with President Putin, but, you know, there’s nothing that is fundamentally at odds with “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” just because you happen to be speaking with Russia.  There are good reasons for countries to engage Russia, even as we work collectively to try to improve Ukraine’s position on the battlefield and strengthen their hand.

Q    So it didn’t do anything — any damage to your collective alliance (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Again, I think these are better questions for the Germans to answer.  But the reality is, I’m quite confident that there was nothing that took place that undermined Ukraine’s interest in these conversations, and we are closely aligned with working with the Germans and our other allies on this.  And I think all of us continue to stand foursquare behind the decision that nothing should be done to undermine Ukraine’s position.  Ukraine will make its own decisions about any potential negotiations or its own dialogue with Russia when it chooses to do so. 

Q    Thanks, Jon.  There’s (inaudible) from President Zelenskyy, as well as others in the international community, for President Biden to make (inaudible) making moves on Ukraine (inaudible), including an invitation to join NATO, for instance.  What additional steps is the President considering on Ukraine in his final days in office?  And will the administration request more money for Ukraine from Congress (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  So, for obvious reasons, we don’t tend to (inaudible) publicly about things that we are considering doing.  When we have a step that we’re ready to announce because we’ve decided on it, we come out and say so. 

So, I won’t go into options on the table or that sort of thing, other than say that we’ve been very clear that the goal — the overriding strategic role for the rest of this term on Ukraine is to make Ukraine as strong as possible.  And that means surging as much materiel and equipment as we can get into Ukraine over the course of the near term.  The President said that quite clearly in September, and we’ve reiterated it since.  It means using all of the funds that have been appropriated for the United States to provide Ukraine during the rest of this term and this administration.  We are on track to execute that.  When we have additional policy changes or policy steps to announce, we’ll come out and say so.  What we’re not going to do is talk about what’s on the whiteboard.

Q    On the money, though, could you weigh in on whether you’ll ask for more spending for Ukraine considering that the administration is pushing for additional (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Look, I guess what I would say to Ukraine is obviously going to need additional support.  No doubt about that.   What vehicle, what timing, I will not get into from the podium here, but Ukraine is going to need additional support going forward if it’s going to stay in the fight.  I think that’s (inaudible).

Q    How much of that (inaudible)?  (Inaudible) verbal commitments to Ukraine as well as (inaudible).  What is the message to allies (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Look, I guess what I would say is wholly consistent with our approach throughout this conflict when the President first talked about a surge that would get as much into Ukraine by the end of this year, by the end of this term, back in September before we knew the outcome of the election.

So this is a strategic goal; it is not political.  It’s about leaving Ukraine in the strongest possible position given the challenges it faces and the escalation that it’s facing now from Russia.

Q    President Trump (inaudible). 

MR. FINER:  So, I guess I think it’s not unusual for an incoming administration or incoming president to engage with people who will be his counterparts.  Beyond that, I don’t have much to say about it.

Q    I realize you’re not going to comment on the reports, but would the President (inaudible) accept it if France or the UK decided loosen their restrictions?

MR. FINER:  So, look, that will obviously be a meeting, a policy judgment from here that I’m not prepared to provide.  So I don’t think I have anything additional to say beyond what I’ve already said, which is that there has been significant escalation on the Russian side, and I think that should be the focus.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Sorry, I just can’t hear you.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  I don’t think that’s on.

Q    Can you hear me now?

MR. FINER:  Yeah, a little better.

Q    (Inaudible) German government (inaudible) long-range missiles (inaudible).

MR. FINER:  So that was the same question that just got asked.  That’s a significant policy question.  I understand why you’re interested in it, but I’m not — don’t have anything to announce on that here.

Q    Thank you.  Can you talk a little bit more about (inaudible)?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Debt?  Is that what you said?

Q    Debt.  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Yeah.  So, look, this administration has taken a lot of action when it comes to these onerous, burdensome debts that countries face that, as I said, can amount to more than these countries are spending on (inaudible) or social issues and services by their population. 

President Biden and President Ruto, during the Kenya state visit, announced a sort of vision that these two countries would pursue together.  We are working hard to execute on that vision.  We’re going to be making the case, and President Biden will be making case during his G20 interventions, for other countries to embrace this approach.  He’s going to be talking about it bilaterally with President Lula as well.

But this is kind of a key area where I think the United States and other countries that are part of G20 are aligned.  There are some countries that unfortunately are trying to take advantage of this situation, and the United States has made the case that that’s not appropriate, that that’s holding key developing countries back from flourishing when they should.

Maybe one more, and then I think I got to go.

Q    Can you explain how restricting American weapons in the past has (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  That’s a question that’s phrased in a particular way that I would not (inaudible) the premise of.

What I will say, though, is: I believe the United States has been extraordinarily successful in providing Ukraine what they needed in the moment that they needed it to enable them to defend their territory, their sovereignty, and their country.  And that started at the very beginning of the war when the United States provided key inputs like air defense and anti-tank, anti-armor assistance so that Ukraine could thwart what was a full-on Russian assault intended to swallow as much as Ukraine as possible.  And the Ukrainians were able to beat that back.

When the war evolved to a more static front line in the east of the country and became much more of an artillery engagement, the United States surged the provision of artillery rounds and longer-range rounds, GMLRS, and other rounds to Ukraine so that they could hold off Russia on that fight as well. 

We’ve done this at every phase of the conflict, including the provision of ATACMS for the Ukrainians to use inside their own borders, which obviously took place earlier this year. 

So we believe that we have enabled the Ukrainians to fight effectively against an army that, frankly, is much larger — at least before the war, was much better equipped — and the Ukrainians held Russia at bay despite predictions — you know, if you go back a couple years, about the trajectory of this conflict, it would have had people believing that most of Ukraine, not all of Ukraine, would have fallen a long time ago. 

Thankfully due to the bravery, first and foremost, of the Ukrainian army, with our help, with our allies’ help, that has not been the case.  And so, what we’re talking about is a frontline that moves a kilometer or two here and there in the far east of the country, which is much better situated than I think anyone predicted early in this conflict. 

That does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that we do not need to continue to provide support for Ukraine.  They’re in a very difficult, extremely difficult situation with Russia, in egregious ways, continuing to escalate this conflict.  I just mentioned two of them: the deployment of a foreign country’s troops on their own territory to fight against Ukraine and these horrific attacks that took place on Ukrainian critical infrastructure over the last 24 hours. 

Unfortunately, that is part and parcel of what we have seen throughout this time, which is Russia’s willingness to continue to up the ante.  And we have and will continue to up the ante when necessary (inaudible) for the Ukrainian (inaudible) succeed (inaudible) will prevail. 

Thank you, guys.

The post On-the-Record Press Gaggle by Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer on the President’s Engagements at the G20 Summit appeared first on The White House.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

MR. FINER:  (In progress.)

We expect President Biden will also engage with leaders one on one, and are working to schedule several pull-asides on the margins of the G20.  If those are able to come together, we’ll obviously read out those conversations if they happen.

The President will close out the day by attending the G20 Leaders Reception.

Of course, tomorrow, in addition to G20 programming, the President will have the opportunity to meet bilaterally with President Lula of Brazil.  President Biden will congratulate President Lula on Brazil’s G20 host year and reaffirm U.S. support for President Lula’s efforts to address hunger and poverty and their shared commitment to ensure no one is left behind, among other key topics such as their partnership (inaudible).

Now, let me just take a step back and reflect for a bit on the significance of the President’s participation in the G20 this year.

Nearly four years ago, President Biden took office amid a devastating global pandemic that had upended the global economy and set back development progress around the world.

Over the past four years, we’ve experienced significant economic growth in the United States, outpacing much of the rest of the world.  And at the heart of this has been President Biden’s modern industrial strategy premised on investing at home to grow the middle class, investing in ourselves, investing in global infrastructure to help our partners do the same. 

This has meant reinvigorating multilateral groups like the G20 to deliver bold action to address big cross-border challenges like climate change that are important to both President Biden and President Lula as well as others in attendance here.  These require, obviously, working with our partners around the world.

Going into the sessions today and tomorrow, President Biden is focused on, really, three key challenges in making progress:

First, making sure developing countries have the resources to make critical investments for strong, sustainable development.  The reality is that too many countries have the will but not the resources or the know-how to invest in their futures.  Most low-income countries spend more servicing their debt than on health, education, and social programs combined. 

That’s why you’ve seen President Biden press the G20 to offer countries a pathway to growth that will call on the international financial institutions, bilateral creditors, and the private sector to step up support for vulnerable countries. 

It’s also why President Biden has championed the global effort to equip the multilateral development banks to tackle global challenges like climate change, fragility, and conflict, as well as pandemics. 

Over the past two years, we’ve fundamentally reshaped and scaled up these institutions, including by identifying forums that can boost lending capacity by up to $360 billion over the next decade. 

Over the next couple of days, President Biden will highlight his funding request to unlock $36 billion in lending at the World Bank and call on G20 leaders to follow through on their pledges to join us to boost lending capacity by $100 billion. 

This is why President Biden is highlighting the need for an ambitious replenishment of the International Development Association, the World Bank’s arm that supports the poorest countries.

President Biden will announce a historic U.S. pledge during the Rio Summit and rally other leaders to step up their commitments. 

Second, we’re capping off the administration’s work to better prepare, prevent, and respond to pandemics — a core focus of President Biden’s since day one for obvious reasons, given what we inherited.

Two years ago, the President led the G20 to launch the Pandemic Fund, a landmark achievement and strong demonstration of how global leadership makes us safer.

In Rio, President Biden will rally support for the second replenishment of this Pandemic Fund to reach its $2 billion resource mobilization goal.  And we’ll be leading the way with a $667 million pledge. 

Third, we’re furthering the global clean energy transition, a critical complement to the President’s domestic climate agenda and a priority you’ve heard him talk about in Lima, in the Amazon, throughout the trip and throughout his presidency.  This starts with pressing G20 countries to make commitments to reduce emissions in line with a 1.5-degree target (inaudible) Paris Agreement.

Tomorrow, when President Biden sees President Lula, he will launch a bilateral Clean Energy Transition Partnership with Brazil, which is designed to position Brazil to reap economic benefits of the energy transition, including scaling and diversifying the supply chain. 

So, it’s a big, broad agenda, as is always the case at these G20 meetings.  That’s basically the plan for next couple days.

I’m happy to take questions.

Q   Thanks.  Can you go back to this position that (inaudible)?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Sure.  So, on the communiqué, I think just taking a step back, it’s important to understand the context of what a G20 meeting is.  Unlike the G7, which is a gathering, essentially, of likeminded countries and the United States, the G20 is a grouping that includes both some of our closest partners and allies, as well as countries that fundamentally are U.S. adversaries.  And so, a communiqué that emerges from this forum is going to be different from what you get in the context of a likeminded gathering. 

I don’t want to get ahead of the negotiations that are still ongoing about the content of this particular communiqué.  Obviously, the U.S. and our partners will be pushing for the strongest possible Ukraine language, but it goes without saying Russia is a part of this grouping, and so this will all have to be negotiated and we’ll see where it lands.

Q    Can you say anything about (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Yeah, look, I obviously have seen the reports.  I don’t have anything to confirm for you here.  But what I will say is that the United States has been clear throughout this conflict that we will make our policy decisions based on circumstances we identify on the battlefield, including, in recent days and weeks, a significant Russian escalation that involves the deployment of a foreign country’s forces on its own territory.  The United States has been clear that we will respond to that, and we’ve been clear to the Russians that we will respond to that. 

I’m not going to get into reports of what exactly — what form that response might take, precisely, for operational reasons that I think you can understand.  But this has been consistent with our approach to the entire conflict.  There are circumstances that evolve and change, and we will evolve and change (inaudible) and to allow the Ukrainians to be continue to defend their territory and their sovereignty.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Sorry, I’m having trouble hearing you.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  So, the United States closely coordinates with all our allies, especially our closest allies — Germany, obviously, among them — on all issues related to Ukraine and, frankly, a whole range of other global issues as well. 

When it comes to your question about negotiations, fundamentally, that’s not a question for the United States or for Germany; it’s a question for the government of Ukraine about when and if it will decide the terms of the negotiations with Russia.

Our policy and our approach has been to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, both throughout this administration and since the invasion took place in 2022, but particularly with the surge of assistance that President Biden announced in September through the end of the year and the end of his term.  We’re executing on that.  We’ve announced recently a drawdown package with another $450 million in assistance.  There will be more announcements like that forthcoming. 

But beyond that, decisions about negotiations will be left to the Ukrainians.  It’s their country and their people.

Q    The Kremlin said this morning that the decision of the (inaudible) weapons was throwing oil on fire in this conflict.  Can you say what the decision (inaudible)?

And, separately, can you say where President Biden discussed the long-range weapons (inaudible) with incoming President Trump (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Again, just to be super clear, I’m not confirming any decisions that have or have not been made about U.S. assistance when it comes to (inaudible). 

I will say, with regard to the comments that came out of Russia, the fire was lit by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  So, I think this notion of fuel on the fire is, frankly, a side issue to the main issue, which is Russia waging a war of aggression across a sovereign border, into Ukraine, and continuing to do so.  And we’ve seen, in addition to the North Korean forces deployment that I mentioned, a major escalation in terms of an aerial attack on infrastructure across Ukraine over the last 24 hours. 

So, I would put the question back to Russia about who’s actually putting fuel on the fire here, and I don’t think it’s the Ukrainians.

Sorry, your second question? 

Q    (Inaudible.)  Do you know if President Biden discussed (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Well, yeah — so, look, the two presidents discussed a wide range of issues, and we’ve been pretty careful not to read that conversation out in any detail.  Certainly the conversation included all of the major issues of geopolitical significance, but I’m not going to get into the details of it.

Q    Thanks.  There are reports that a text is being (inaudible) climate finance.  Is the U.S. on board with that text?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  When we have an approved text, we will come out and say so.  When it comes to climate finance, I think the most significant development of the last 24 hours was the President’s declaration yesterday that the United States has met its $11 billion pledge for international climate financing.  That’s been an important target throughout this administration.  We not only got there but we exceeded it, as the President said in the Amazon yesterday.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Yeah, so I’m not going to get in the sort of private conversations the President has with world leaders on this topic, other than to say there’s an obvious context here of a transition that is taking place in our politics and in our governance. 

The President has been, I think, very clear that his goals through the course of his entire term have been to strengthen the position of the United States in the world.  The investments that we’ve made at home are a foundational part of that.  The relationships that we’ve enhanced and improved around the world, including, obviously, in Europe, in the Indo-Pacific, and other places, are a significant part of that. 

We think we are leaving the country on a much stronger footing than we inherited it, and it will be up to a new administration to determine what to do with that vision that we believe that we are passing on.

But we have a system that’s fundamentally predicated on one president at a time.  President Biden is that president.  He will be handing off power in January, and it’ll be up to the new administration to decide what to do with it.

Q    (Inaudible) other countries that would seek to win some sort of (inaudible) incoming administration on some of the key issues that you still have, (inaudible) hostages, conflicts in the Middle East?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Look, I mean, countries will have to make their own decisions about how they react to, respond to, posture themselves according to our transition.  Fundamentally, I think our view is countries make decisions based on interests.  We have found an alignment of interests with a large number of countries in the world, including in particular our closest partners and allies.  I don’t think those interests change even if there is a transition from one U.S. administration to the next.  So, I don’t think we are expecting some major reorientation of how other countries look at the world or look at their relationship with us, but they will make those decisions for themselves based on their interests, in January.

Q    Just quickly back on the Scholz-Putin call, can you elaborate or explain how that fits with “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” which you guys have been sort of operating under?  And then, whether or not you got a heads up.  Are you supportive of a leader call taking place?  And is it still President Biden’s view that nobody on the leader level should engage with Putin at this point?

MR. FINER:  Look, fundamentally, this is a question for the German government, not the U.S. government.  Germany is a sovereign country and can do what it wants in terms of its international relations. 

What I will say is we’ve never said that “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” means that nobody should be talking to Russia.  We’ve had conversations with Russia in this administration.  Other countries have had conversations with Russia even since the invasion and (inaudible) more significant phase of the war broke out.

We’re not going to read out the substance of the conversation that Chancellor Scholz had with President Putin, but, you know, there’s nothing that is fundamentally at odds with “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” just because you happen to be speaking with Russia.  There are good reasons for countries to engage Russia, even as we work collectively to try to improve Ukraine’s position on the battlefield and strengthen their hand.

Q    So it didn’t do anything — any damage to your collective alliance (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Again, I think these are better questions for the Germans to answer.  But the reality is, I’m quite confident that there was nothing that took place that undermined Ukraine’s interest in these conversations, and we are closely aligned with working with the Germans and our other allies on this.  And I think all of us continue to stand foursquare behind the decision that nothing should be done to undermine Ukraine’s position.  Ukraine will make its own decisions about any potential negotiations or its own dialogue with Russia when it chooses to do so. 

Q    Thanks, Jon.  There’s (inaudible) from President Zelenskyy, as well as others in the international community, for President Biden to make (inaudible) making moves on Ukraine (inaudible), including an invitation to join NATO, for instance.  What additional steps is the President considering on Ukraine in his final days in office?  And will the administration request more money for Ukraine from Congress (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  So, for obvious reasons, we don’t tend to (inaudible) publicly about things that we are considering doing.  When we have a step that we’re ready to announce because we’ve decided on it, we come out and say so. 

So, I won’t go into options on the table or that sort of thing, other than say that we’ve been very clear that the goal — the overriding strategic role for the rest of this term on Ukraine is to make Ukraine as strong as possible.  And that means surging as much materiel and equipment as we can get into Ukraine over the course of the near term.  The President said that quite clearly in September, and we’ve reiterated it since.  It means using all of the funds that have been appropriated for the United States to provide Ukraine during the rest of this term and this administration.  We are on track to execute that.  When we have additional policy changes or policy steps to announce, we’ll come out and say so.  What we’re not going to do is talk about what’s on the whiteboard.

Q    On the money, though, could you weigh in on whether you’ll ask for more spending for Ukraine considering that the administration is pushing for additional (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Look, I guess what I would say to Ukraine is obviously going to need additional support.  No doubt about that.   What vehicle, what timing, I will not get into from the podium here, but Ukraine is going to need additional support going forward if it’s going to stay in the fight.  I think that’s (inaudible).

Q    How much of that (inaudible)?  (Inaudible) verbal commitments to Ukraine as well as (inaudible).  What is the message to allies (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  Look, I guess what I would say is wholly consistent with our approach throughout this conflict when the President first talked about a surge that would get as much into Ukraine by the end of this year, by the end of this term, back in September before we knew the outcome of the election.

So this is a strategic goal; it is not political.  It’s about leaving Ukraine in the strongest possible position given the challenges it faces and the escalation that it’s facing now from Russia.

Q    President Trump (inaudible). 

MR. FINER:  So, I guess I think it’s not unusual for an incoming administration or incoming president to engage with people who will be his counterparts.  Beyond that, I don’t have much to say about it.

Q    I realize you’re not going to comment on the reports, but would the President (inaudible) accept it if France or the UK decided loosen their restrictions?

MR. FINER:  So, look, that will obviously be a meeting, a policy judgment from here that I’m not prepared to provide.  So I don’t think I have anything additional to say beyond what I’ve already said, which is that there has been significant escalation on the Russian side, and I think that should be the focus.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Sorry, I just can’t hear you.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  I don’t think that’s on.

Q    Can you hear me now?

MR. FINER:  Yeah, a little better.

Q    (Inaudible) German government (inaudible) long-range missiles (inaudible).

MR. FINER:  So that was the same question that just got asked.  That’s a significant policy question.  I understand why you’re interested in it, but I’m not — don’t have anything to announce on that here.

Q    Thank you.  Can you talk a little bit more about (inaudible)?  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Debt?  Is that what you said?

Q    Debt.  (Inaudible.)

MR. FINER:  Yeah.  So, look, this administration has taken a lot of action when it comes to these onerous, burdensome debts that countries face that, as I said, can amount to more than these countries are spending on (inaudible) or social issues and services by their population. 

President Biden and President Ruto, during the Kenya state visit, announced a sort of vision that these two countries would pursue together.  We are working hard to execute on that vision.  We’re going to be making the case, and President Biden will be making case during his G20 interventions, for other countries to embrace this approach.  He’s going to be talking about it bilaterally with President Lula as well.

But this is kind of a key area where I think the United States and other countries that are part of G20 are aligned.  There are some countries that unfortunately are trying to take advantage of this situation, and the United States has made the case that that’s not appropriate, that that’s holding key developing countries back from flourishing when they should.

Maybe one more, and then I think I got to go.

Q    Can you explain how restricting American weapons in the past has (inaudible)?

MR. FINER:  That’s a question that’s phrased in a particular way that I would not (inaudible) the premise of.

What I will say, though, is: I believe the United States has been extraordinarily successful in providing Ukraine what they needed in the moment that they needed it to enable them to defend their territory, their sovereignty, and their country.  And that started at the very beginning of the war when the United States provided key inputs like air defense and anti-tank, anti-armor assistance so that Ukraine could thwart what was a full-on Russian assault intended to swallow as much as Ukraine as possible.  And the Ukrainians were able to beat that back.

When the war evolved to a more static front line in the east of the country and became much more of an artillery engagement, the United States surged the provision of artillery rounds and longer-range rounds, GMLRS, and other rounds to Ukraine so that they could hold off Russia on that fight as well. 

We’ve done this at every phase of the conflict, including the provision of ATACMS for the Ukrainians to use inside their own borders, which obviously took place earlier this year. 

So we believe that we have enabled the Ukrainians to fight effectively against an army that, frankly, is much larger — at least before the war, was much better equipped — and the Ukrainians held Russia at bay despite predictions — you know, if you go back a couple years, about the trajectory of this conflict, it would have had people believing that most of Ukraine, not all of Ukraine, would have fallen a long time ago. 

Thankfully due to the bravery, first and foremost, of the Ukrainian army, with our help, with our allies’ help, that has not been the case.  And so, what we’re talking about is a frontline that moves a kilometer or two here and there in the far east of the country, which is much better situated than I think anyone predicted early in this conflict. 

That does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that we do not need to continue to provide support for Ukraine.  They’re in a very difficult, extremely difficult situation with Russia, in egregious ways, continuing to escalate this conflict.  I just mentioned two of them: the deployment of a foreign country’s troops on their own territory to fight against Ukraine and these horrific attacks that took place on Ukrainian critical infrastructure over the last 24 hours. 

Unfortunately, that is part and parcel of what we have seen throughout this time, which is Russia’s willingness to continue to up the ante.  And we have and will continue to up the ante when necessary (inaudible) for the Ukrainian (inaudible) succeed (inaudible) will prevail. 

Thank you, guys.

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President Biden met today with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.  President Biden expressed his congratulations on her recent election and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to building a prosperous North America with good paying jobs.  The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining cooperation on migration, security and tackling the scourge of transnational criminal violence, and economic issues, building on the strong bilateral partnership between the United States and Mexico.

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President Biden met today with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.  President Biden expressed his congratulations on her recent election and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to building a prosperous North America with good paying jobs.  The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining cooperation on migration, security and tackling the scourge of transnational criminal violence, and economic issues, building on the strong bilateral partnership between the United States and Mexico.

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President Biden met today with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.  President Biden thanked Prime Minister Trudeau for Canada’s strong partnership as weaddress the main challenges of our time, including creating jobs and opportunities for the middle class, combating climate change, managing migration, strengthening our alliances including NATO, and addressing humanitarian needs in Haiti and globally.  President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the shared goal of continental and Arctic defense, and underscored the importance of Canadian defense investment and the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty.  The two leaders agreed that strengthening democracy and rule of law were essential to the prosperity and success of North America.   

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President Biden met today with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.  President Biden thanked Prime Minister Trudeau for Canada’s strong partnership as weaddress the main challenges of our time, including creating jobs and opportunities for the middle class, combating climate change, managing migration, strengthening our alliances including NATO, and addressing humanitarian needs in Haiti and globally.  President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the shared goal of continental and Arctic defense, and underscored the importance of Canadian defense investment and the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty.  The two leaders agreed that strengthening democracy and rule of law were essential to the prosperity and success of North America.   

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Dear Mr. Speaker:

With the Congress now back in session, I write to request urgently needed emergency funding to provide for an expeditious and meaningful Federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters.  In the weeks since these deadly storms tore through communities across the Southeast, members of my Administration and I have traveled to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to meet with families, business owners, farmers, local and State officials, and first responders to stand with these communities in the wake of these disasters and to hear firsthand what they need from the Federal Government in order to make a full recovery.  Additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities.

Over the past month, members of my Administration have written to you and other congressional leaders to underscore the urgent need for additional funding to replenish key disaster response programs. Most urgently, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan program has completely exhausted its funding and the Congress must act as soon as possible to restore this funding.  As I outlined in my October 4th letter, my Administration has repeatedly underscored the need for the Congress to prevent a shortfall.  SBA loans are a pivotal lifeline for local businesses as well as individual survivors who use these loans to repair and rebuild their homes and replace or repair damaged property, including their personal vehicles.  SBA has already received over 100,000 loan applications for Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the American people cannot afford any further delay in the restoration of this vital funding.

Urgent funding is also needed for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses to help individuals and communities across the Nation recover from disasters.  Without additional funding, the DRF will face a shortfall this fiscal year, which will impact FEMA’s ability to provide life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to disaster survivors, as well as slow recovery from ongoing and prior disasters.  Funding for the Department of Agriculture is necessary to provide assistance to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across the Nation affected by natural disasters.  Funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program is critical to help communities respond to the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as the devastating fires in Maui and tornados in Mississippi, Iowa, and Oklahoma.  My Administration is also requesting funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect critical access to safe drinking water, for the Department of Energy to rapidly restore power and rebuild the electric grid to better withstand future storms, and for the Department of Transportation to support rebuilding roads and bridges across 40 States and Territories, including Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  Additional funding for the EPA is also needed to protect drinking water infrastructure, fund water system upgrades that would improve system performance, mitigate further future damage from extreme weather, and improve systems for low- and moderate-income households.

Additional action must also be taken to address the severe shortage of intravenous (IV) fluids and other critical medical products caused by Hurricane Helene.  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took critical steps this month to support access to these products, including ensuring restoration of key production sites, protecting products, and opening imports in partnership with manufacturers, distributors, hospitals, and other stakeholders.  My Administration is requesting funding for HHS to build supply chain capacity and resilience for IV fluids and other critical medical products to respond to current needs and to better prepare for disasters in the future.  In addition, Hurricanes Helene and Milton are expected to exhaust available funding balances for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), forcing the program to add to its debt to the Department of the Treasury. My Administration urges the Congress to cancel some or all of the NFIP’s debt to ensure NFIP policyholders and disaster survivors have a sustainable flood insurance program that provides the assistance they need after disaster strikes.

The Congress must also extend the deadlines for Hermit’s Peak fire claimants to request FEMA assistance, in order to ensure all applicants can receive compensation for losses in the aftermath of the fires in New Mexico.

The Congress has previously responded on a bipartisan basis to support communities in the wake of natural disasters — including providing over $90 billion in aid after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, over $50 billion following Hurricane Sandy in 2013, and over $120 billion following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017.  Just as the Congress acted then, it is our sworn duty now to deliver the necessary resources to ensure that everyone in communities reeling from Hurricanes Helene and Milton — and those still recovering from previous disasters — have the Federal resources they need and deserve.

From rebuilding homes and reopening critical infrastructure, such as schools and roads — to supporting the Nation’s farmers and ranchers and ensuring access to healthcare services — impacted communities await your response.  There can be no delay.  I urge the Congress to act quickly to pass a supplemental funding package to assist communities impacted by these hurricanes — and every other disaster since the Congress last passed a comprehensive disaster package in 2022 — so that the people, families, businesses, and communities affected have the support they need to respond, recover, and rebuild responsibly.

Since the need for this funding arises from unforeseen and unanticipated events, my Administration continues to request that the amounts in this supplemental request be designated as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. 

My Administration will be with those affected until the job is done. This request of supplemental funds is focused on the accounts that are most critical to aiding disaster survivors and impacted communities. My Administration will continue to assess the full resource requirements associated with long-term rebuilding and resilience efforts resulting from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including those costs related to impacts to Federal facilities and infrastructure, and we will share those estimates as they become available. I urge the Congress to take immediate action, and I look forward to your partnership in delivering this critical relief to the American people.

                               Sincerely,

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Requesting for Additional Funding for Disaster Relief appeared first on The White House.

Dear Mr. Speaker:

With the Congress now back in session, I write to request urgently needed emergency funding to provide for an expeditious and meaningful Federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters.  In the weeks since these deadly storms tore through communities across the Southeast, members of my Administration and I have traveled to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to meet with families, business owners, farmers, local and State officials, and first responders to stand with these communities in the wake of these disasters and to hear firsthand what they need from the Federal Government in order to make a full recovery.  Additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities.

Over the past month, members of my Administration have written to you and other congressional leaders to underscore the urgent need for additional funding to replenish key disaster response programs. Most urgently, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan program has completely exhausted its funding and the Congress must act as soon as possible to restore this funding.  As I outlined in my October 4th letter, my Administration has repeatedly underscored the need for the Congress to prevent a shortfall.  SBA loans are a pivotal lifeline for local businesses as well as individual survivors who use these loans to repair and rebuild their homes and replace or repair damaged property, including their personal vehicles.  SBA has already received over 100,000 loan applications for Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the American people cannot afford any further delay in the restoration of this vital funding.

Urgent funding is also needed for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses to help individuals and communities across the Nation recover from disasters.  Without additional funding, the DRF will face a shortfall this fiscal year, which will impact FEMA’s ability to provide life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to disaster survivors, as well as slow recovery from ongoing and prior disasters.  Funding for the Department of Agriculture is necessary to provide assistance to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across the Nation affected by natural disasters.  Funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program is critical to help communities respond to the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as the devastating fires in Maui and tornados in Mississippi, Iowa, and Oklahoma.  My Administration is also requesting funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect critical access to safe drinking water, for the Department of Energy to rapidly restore power and rebuild the electric grid to better withstand future storms, and for the Department of Transportation to support rebuilding roads and bridges across 40 States and Territories, including Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  Additional funding for the EPA is also needed to protect drinking water infrastructure, fund water system upgrades that would improve system performance, mitigate further future damage from extreme weather, and improve systems for low- and moderate-income households.

Additional action must also be taken to address the severe shortage of intravenous (IV) fluids and other critical medical products caused by Hurricane Helene.  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took critical steps this month to support access to these products, including ensuring restoration of key production sites, protecting products, and opening imports in partnership with manufacturers, distributors, hospitals, and other stakeholders.  My Administration is requesting funding for HHS to build supply chain capacity and resilience for IV fluids and other critical medical products to respond to current needs and to better prepare for disasters in the future.  In addition, Hurricanes Helene and Milton are expected to exhaust available funding balances for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), forcing the program to add to its debt to the Department of the Treasury. My Administration urges the Congress to cancel some or all of the NFIP’s debt to ensure NFIP policyholders and disaster survivors have a sustainable flood insurance program that provides the assistance they need after disaster strikes.

The Congress must also extend the deadlines for Hermit’s Peak fire claimants to request FEMA assistance, in order to ensure all applicants can receive compensation for losses in the aftermath of the fires in New Mexico.

The Congress has previously responded on a bipartisan basis to support communities in the wake of natural disasters — including providing over $90 billion in aid after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, over $50 billion following Hurricane Sandy in 2013, and over $120 billion following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017.  Just as the Congress acted then, it is our sworn duty now to deliver the necessary resources to ensure that everyone in communities reeling from Hurricanes Helene and Milton — and those still recovering from previous disasters — have the Federal resources they need and deserve.

From rebuilding homes and reopening critical infrastructure, such as schools and roads — to supporting the Nation’s farmers and ranchers and ensuring access to healthcare services — impacted communities await your response.  There can be no delay.  I urge the Congress to act quickly to pass a supplemental funding package to assist communities impacted by these hurricanes — and every other disaster since the Congress last passed a comprehensive disaster package in 2022 — so that the people, families, businesses, and communities affected have the support they need to respond, recover, and rebuild responsibly.

Since the need for this funding arises from unforeseen and unanticipated events, my Administration continues to request that the amounts in this supplemental request be designated as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. 

My Administration will be with those affected until the job is done. This request of supplemental funds is focused on the accounts that are most critical to aiding disaster survivors and impacted communities. My Administration will continue to assess the full resource requirements associated with long-term rebuilding and resilience efforts resulting from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including those costs related to impacts to Federal facilities and infrastructure, and we will share those estimates as they become available. I urge the Congress to take immediate action, and I look forward to your partnership in delivering this critical relief to the American people.

                               Sincerely,

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Requesting for Additional Funding for Disaster Relief appeared first on The White House.

Museu da Amazônia
Manaus, Brazil

3:39 P.M. AMT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thanks for all being here.

Back in the late ‘80s, Chico Mendes, a Brazilian rubber tapper who turned environmental activist, said the following, I quote, “At first, I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees.  Then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest.  Now I realize I was fighting for humanity.” 

At the time, I was a United States senator, working with a great Republican senator named Dick Lugar, from Indiana, to enact a new law: The United States would relieve other countries of debts owed to us if they commit to protecting their own forest.

These debt-for-nature swaps have since protected nearly 70 million acres of forests worldwide.

And today I’m proud to be here, the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest, to recommit to protecting the rainforests, like this one.

The most powerful solutions we have to fight climate change is all around us: the world’s forests.

Trees breathe carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.  And yet, each minute, the world is chopping down the equivalent of 10 soccer fields worth of forests — each minute. 

That’s why we’ve been a leader internationally in the fight to end and reverse deforestation by twenty-twe- — by 2030.

That’s why we’ve led by example at home, conserving an area of the U.S. lands and waters larger — larger than the state of — the nation of Uruguay.

We’ve done it by fighting for Tribal partners — lifting them up; Indigenous communities; and most impacted by deforestation and climate change.

Today’s announcement will support Indigenous communities to do some — the same here in the Amazon.

We all know there’s much more we can do and must do at home and abroad.

That’s why today I issued an official proclamation to support the conservation of nature around the world, because the fight to protect our planet is literally a fight for humanity for generations to come.  It may be the only existential threat to all our nations and to all humanity that exists.

With today’s proclamation, I am proud to announce, first, the United States Development Finance Corporation will mobilize hundreds of millions of dollars in partnership with a Brazilian company to reforest the Amazon.

Second, we’re launching a Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Coalition to mobilize at least $10 billion by 2030 to restore and protect 20,000 square miles of land. 

And, third, I’m announcing an additional $50 million to the Amazon Fund that’s already — we’ve giv- — already given $50 million.

Fourth, we’ll provide the funding to help launch President Lula’s important new initiative, the Tropical Forest Forever Fund.  It’s in the interest of all of us.  The United States benefits from that as much as any other country does, including here in Brazil.

I’m also so proud to support bipartisan legislation to launch a new foundation for international conservation that would leverage public funds to mobilize billions more in private capital.

The fight against climate change has been a defining cause of my presidency.

My administration first rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change.  We’ve launched 150-nation-strong Global Methane Pledge.  We’ve delivered a record climate financing to developing countries.  And we’ve pledged that we would deliver $11 billion per year by 2024.  I’m pleased to announce today that we not only kept that promise, we’ve surpassed it.

Back home, I signed the most significant climate change law in history, a law that positioned us to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, that’s generated $450 billion in new clean energy investments, and that’s created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and a manufacturing boom as well.

Folks, we don’t have to choose between the environment and the economy.  You can do both.  We’ve proven it back home.

It’s no secret that I’m leaving office in January.  I will have my su- — I will leave my successor and my country in a strong foundation to build on if they choose to do so.

It’s true some may seek to la- — deny or delay the clean energy revolution that’s underway in America, but nobody — nobody can reverse it — nobody.  Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are enjoying its benefits.  Not when countries around the world are harnessing the clean energy revolution to pull ahead themselves.

The question now is: Which government will stand in the way, and which will seize the enormous economic opportunity? 

Let me close with this.  It’s often said that the Amazon is the lungs of the world — the Amazon is the lungs of the world.  But in my view, our forests and national wonders are the heart and soul of the world. 

They unite us.  They inspire us.  They make us proud of our countries and heritage — a bridge to the past and to our future, a birthright we pass down from generation to generation. 

Zama- — the Amazon rainforest was built up over 50 million years — 50 million years.  History is literally watching us now. 

So, let’s preserve this sacred place, for our time and forever, for the benefit of all humanity.

Thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)

3:46 P.M. AMT

The post Remarks by President Biden in Statement to Press | Manaus, Brazil appeared first on The White House.

Museu da Amazônia
Manaus, Brazil

3:39 P.M. AMT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thanks for all being here.

Back in the late ‘80s, Chico Mendes, a Brazilian rubber tapper who turned environmental activist, said the following, I quote, “At first, I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees.  Then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest.  Now I realize I was fighting for humanity.” 

At the time, I was a United States senator, working with a great Republican senator named Dick Lugar, from Indiana, to enact a new law: The United States would relieve other countries of debts owed to us if they commit to protecting their own forest.

These debt-for-nature swaps have since protected nearly 70 million acres of forests worldwide.

And today I’m proud to be here, the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest, to recommit to protecting the rainforests, like this one.

The most powerful solutions we have to fight climate change is all around us: the world’s forests.

Trees breathe carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.  And yet, each minute, the world is chopping down the equivalent of 10 soccer fields worth of forests — each minute. 

That’s why we’ve been a leader internationally in the fight to end and reverse deforestation by twenty-twe- — by 2030.

That’s why we’ve led by example at home, conserving an area of the U.S. lands and waters larger — larger than the state of — the nation of Uruguay.

We’ve done it by fighting for Tribal partners — lifting them up; Indigenous communities; and most impacted by deforestation and climate change.

Today’s announcement will support Indigenous communities to do some — the same here in the Amazon.

We all know there’s much more we can do and must do at home and abroad.

That’s why today I issued an official proclamation to support the conservation of nature around the world, because the fight to protect our planet is literally a fight for humanity for generations to come.  It may be the only existential threat to all our nations and to all humanity that exists.

With today’s proclamation, I am proud to announce, first, the United States Development Finance Corporation will mobilize hundreds of millions of dollars in partnership with a Brazilian company to reforest the Amazon.

Second, we’re launching a Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Coalition to mobilize at least $10 billion by 2030 to restore and protect 20,000 square miles of land. 

And, third, I’m announcing an additional $50 million to the Amazon Fund that’s already — we’ve giv- — already given $50 million.

Fourth, we’ll provide the funding to help launch President Lula’s important new initiative, the Tropical Forest Forever Fund.  It’s in the interest of all of us.  The United States benefits from that as much as any other country does, including here in Brazil.

I’m also so proud to support bipartisan legislation to launch a new foundation for international conservation that would leverage public funds to mobilize billions more in private capital.

The fight against climate change has been a defining cause of my presidency.

My administration first rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change.  We’ve launched 150-nation-strong Global Methane Pledge.  We’ve delivered a record climate financing to developing countries.  And we’ve pledged that we would deliver $11 billion per year by 2024.  I’m pleased to announce today that we not only kept that promise, we’ve surpassed it.

Back home, I signed the most significant climate change law in history, a law that positioned us to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, that’s generated $450 billion in new clean energy investments, and that’s created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and a manufacturing boom as well.

Folks, we don’t have to choose between the environment and the economy.  You can do both.  We’ve proven it back home.

It’s no secret that I’m leaving office in January.  I will have my su- — I will leave my successor and my country in a strong foundation to build on if they choose to do so.

It’s true some may seek to la- — deny or delay the clean energy revolution that’s underway in America, but nobody — nobody can reverse it — nobody.  Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are enjoying its benefits.  Not when countries around the world are harnessing the clean energy revolution to pull ahead themselves.

The question now is: Which government will stand in the way, and which will seize the enormous economic opportunity? 

Let me close with this.  It’s often said that the Amazon is the lungs of the world — the Amazon is the lungs of the world.  But in my view, our forests and national wonders are the heart and soul of the world. 

They unite us.  They inspire us.  They make us proud of our countries and heritage — a bridge to the past and to our future, a birthright we pass down from generation to generation. 

Zama- — the Amazon rainforest was built up over 50 million years — 50 million years.  History is literally watching us now. 

So, let’s preserve this sacred place, for our time and forever, for the benefit of all humanity.

Thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)

3:46 P.M. AMT

The post Remarks by President Biden in Statement to Press | Manaus, Brazil appeared first on The White House.

     Today, I am proud to become the first sitting American President to visit the Amazon and to proclaim the first International Conservation Day, reflecting all that is at stake in the fight against climate change and honoring the power and promise of conservation work.  On International Conservation Day, we recommit to working with partners across our Nation and around the world to safeguard our natural treasures.
     When we work together to defend our lands and waters, everyone benefits.  That is because conservation is about more than protecting our world’s beautiful natural wonders — it is about protecting the livelihoods of the people who depend on them; preserving our diverse habitats and the wildlife that lives within them; increasing resiliency throughout our lands, seascapes, and riverscapes; and ensuring our lands and waters can be enjoyed by all.   
     That is why my Administration has delivered on the most ambitious land and water conservation agenda in American history — leading by the power of our example.  When I first came into office, I issued an Executive Order that established the United States’ first-ever conservation goal — aiming to protect at least 30 percent of our Nation’s lands and waters by 2030.  My America the Beautiful initiative has advanced that work by supporting voluntary, locally led conservation and restoration.  These efforts have not only helped local communities, Tribes, farmers, ranchers, foresters, and fishers to address the climate crisis and protect lands and waters.  They have also created jobs, strengthened the economy, and expanded access to the outdoors across our country.  I also signed an Executive Order to safeguard and steward our Nation’s forests and make our ecosystems more resilient in the fight against climate change.  And we launched the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our Nation’s rivers and streams to safeguard clean water for all.  
     I am also proud that my Administration made the largest investment in history to confront the climate crisis through my Inflation Reduction Act and has conserved more than 45 million acres of our Nation’s lands and waters.  We have established, expanded, and restored 11 national monuments and protected the United States Arctic Ocean from new oil and gas leasing.  And together with my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we have invested in restoration and conservation, including $50 billion to strengthen community and ecosystem resilience to climate change.  Further, I launched the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new, diverse generation of Americans in conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, and advancing environmental justice — all while creating good jobs.  
     Around the world, my Administration has made extraordinary progress in advancing conservation.  We moved to rejoin the Paris Agreement on day one of my Administration, and we put our country in a position to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.  In 2021, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, we released the Plan to Conserve Global Forests — a first-of-its-kind national strategy to preserve global ecosystems that serve as vital carbon sinks.  We also joined other nations in pledging to end deforestation by 2030, backed by the biggest ever commitment of public funds for forest conservation and a plan to make 75 percent of forest commodity supply chains sustainable.  In 2022, we helped rally countries around the world to commit to conserve at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030, mirroring the goal we had set at home.  We also joined other countries at the United Nations to sign the High Seas Treaty, committing to working together to establish marine protected areas on the high seas — a critical step to conserve ocean biodiversity and reach the global community’s goal to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. 
     My Administration has also delivered record climate financing to support developing countries’ efforts to preserve and protect these vital ecosystems that serve as critical carbon sinks, accelerate the clean energy transition, and bolster their resilience to climate change.  In 2021, I pledged that our Nation would deliver $11 billion per year in climate financing by 2024.  I am proud that we not only kept that promise, but surpassed it.  This includes fulfilling my pledge to invest over $3 billion per year to help vulnerable countries around the world mitigate and adapt to climate change as part of my Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience.  I am also proud that — with our recent $50 million investment — my Administration has provided over $100 million to the Amazon Fund.  At the same time, our Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has helped mobilize over $1 billion in investment to support the restoration of degraded lands in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile, helping create a market that values keeping this vital ecosystem alive and thriving.  
     There is still so much to do to ensure that we protect our world’s most precious ecosystems and natural treasures.  That is why the DFC is investing in one of the largest reforestation projects in the world, beginning with the Brazilian Amazon.  I am proud that my Administration is working with over a dozen international partners to launch the Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Coalition to mobilize at least $10 billion for land restoration and bioeconomy-related projects by 2030.  And I am proud to support President Lula of Brazil’s bold vision of creating the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a path-breaking new initiative that would incentivize countries to protect their tropical forests while supporting the local and Indigenous communities stewarding these forests and ensuring these vital ecosystems continue to thrive.  
     It has been said that the Amazon rainforest is the lungs of the world.  Forests like these, that stretch across the Americas, Africa, and Asia — including the Amazon, Tongass, Congo, and Sundaland — represent our heart and soul.  Now more than ever, we must recommit to the urgent work of addressing climate change — together, we can ensure that these treasures will be enjoyed for generations to come.  
     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 17, 2024, as International Conservation Day.  
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post A Proclamation on International Conservation Day, 2024 appeared first on The White House.

     Today, I am proud to become the first sitting American President to visit the Amazon and to proclaim the first International Conservation Day, reflecting all that is at stake in the fight against climate change and honoring the power and promise of conservation work.  On International Conservation Day, we recommit to working with partners across our Nation and around the world to safeguard our natural treasures.
     When we work together to defend our lands and waters, everyone benefits.  That is because conservation is about more than protecting our world’s beautiful natural wonders — it is about protecting the livelihoods of the people who depend on them; preserving our diverse habitats and the wildlife that lives within them; increasing resiliency throughout our lands, seascapes, and riverscapes; and ensuring our lands and waters can be enjoyed by all.   
     That is why my Administration has delivered on the most ambitious land and water conservation agenda in American history — leading by the power of our example.  When I first came into office, I issued an Executive Order that established the United States’ first-ever conservation goal — aiming to protect at least 30 percent of our Nation’s lands and waters by 2030.  My America the Beautiful initiative has advanced that work by supporting voluntary, locally led conservation and restoration.  These efforts have not only helped local communities, Tribes, farmers, ranchers, foresters, and fishers to address the climate crisis and protect lands and waters.  They have also created jobs, strengthened the economy, and expanded access to the outdoors across our country.  I also signed an Executive Order to safeguard and steward our Nation’s forests and make our ecosystems more resilient in the fight against climate change.  And we launched the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our Nation’s rivers and streams to safeguard clean water for all.  
     I am also proud that my Administration made the largest investment in history to confront the climate crisis through my Inflation Reduction Act and has conserved more than 45 million acres of our Nation’s lands and waters.  We have established, expanded, and restored 11 national monuments and protected the United States Arctic Ocean from new oil and gas leasing.  And together with my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we have invested in restoration and conservation, including $50 billion to strengthen community and ecosystem resilience to climate change.  Further, I launched the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new, diverse generation of Americans in conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, and advancing environmental justice — all while creating good jobs.  
     Around the world, my Administration has made extraordinary progress in advancing conservation.  We moved to rejoin the Paris Agreement on day one of my Administration, and we put our country in a position to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.  In 2021, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, we released the Plan to Conserve Global Forests — a first-of-its-kind national strategy to preserve global ecosystems that serve as vital carbon sinks.  We also joined other nations in pledging to end deforestation by 2030, backed by the biggest ever commitment of public funds for forest conservation and a plan to make 75 percent of forest commodity supply chains sustainable.  In 2022, we helped rally countries around the world to commit to conserve at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030, mirroring the goal we had set at home.  We also joined other countries at the United Nations to sign the High Seas Treaty, committing to working together to establish marine protected areas on the high seas — a critical step to conserve ocean biodiversity and reach the global community’s goal to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. 
     My Administration has also delivered record climate financing to support developing countries’ efforts to preserve and protect these vital ecosystems that serve as critical carbon sinks, accelerate the clean energy transition, and bolster their resilience to climate change.  In 2021, I pledged that our Nation would deliver $11 billion per year in climate financing by 2024.  I am proud that we not only kept that promise, but surpassed it.  This includes fulfilling my pledge to invest over $3 billion per year to help vulnerable countries around the world mitigate and adapt to climate change as part of my Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience.  I am also proud that — with our recent $50 million investment — my Administration has provided over $100 million to the Amazon Fund.  At the same time, our Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has helped mobilize over $1 billion in investment to support the restoration of degraded lands in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile, helping create a market that values keeping this vital ecosystem alive and thriving.  
     There is still so much to do to ensure that we protect our world’s most precious ecosystems and natural treasures.  That is why the DFC is investing in one of the largest reforestation projects in the world, beginning with the Brazilian Amazon.  I am proud that my Administration is working with over a dozen international partners to launch the Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Coalition to mobilize at least $10 billion for land restoration and bioeconomy-related projects by 2030.  And I am proud to support President Lula of Brazil’s bold vision of creating the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a path-breaking new initiative that would incentivize countries to protect their tropical forests while supporting the local and Indigenous communities stewarding these forests and ensuring these vital ecosystems continue to thrive.  
     It has been said that the Amazon rainforest is the lungs of the world.  Forests like these, that stretch across the Americas, Africa, and Asia — including the Amazon, Tongass, Congo, and Sundaland — represent our heart and soul.  Now more than ever, we must recommit to the urgent work of addressing climate change — together, we can ensure that these treasures will be enjoyed for generations to come.  
     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 17, 2024, as International Conservation Day.  
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post A Proclamation on International Conservation Day, 2024 appeared first on The White House.