Climate change continued to manifest with severe impacts across the United States in 2024, prompting ongoing efforts by the U.S. government at both federal and state levels, as well as through international cooperation.
Summary of Climate Change in 2024 (US Context):
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Extreme Weather and Billion-Dollar Disasters: 2024 was the warmest year on record for the contiguous U.S., marked by an alarming frequency of severe weather events. The U.S. experienced 27 separate weather and climate disasters, each incurring over $1 billion in damages, making it the second-highest annual disaster count on record. These included:
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Tropical Cyclones: Hurricanes Helene (Category 4, $78.7 billion) and Milton (Category 3, $34.3 billion) caused catastrophic flooding, power outages, and significant fatalities, particularly in the Southeast. The Atlantic basin saw a very active season with 18 named tropical systems.
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Tornadoes: The year recorded the second-highest number of confirmed tornadoes on record (1,735), with several devastating EF-4 tornadoes.
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Wildfires: Over 61,000 wildfires burned 8.8 million acres, significantly above the 20-year average.
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Other Events: The year also saw severe storms, winter storms, a major flooding event in the Upper Midwest, and a significant drought/heat wave affecting various regions.
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Rising Costs: The total cost of these billion-dollar disasters in 2024 was estimated at $182.7 billion, the fourth highest on record. The five-year average cost (2020-2024) is more than double the 45-year average, indicating a rapidly escalating financial burden from climate impacts.
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Public Perception: A significant majority of Americans (73%) believe global warming is happening, with 60% acknowledging it’s mostly human-caused. Many perceive personal and community risks from climate impacts like extreme heat, wildfires, droughts, and flooding.
US Efforts to Respond in 2024:
The U.S. continued to implement and build upon existing climate policies, particularly those stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, while also engaging in international diplomacy.
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Federal Regulatory Actions and Initiatives:
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Emissions Standards: The EPA finalized new, more protective multi-pollutant emissions standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles (effective MY 2027 onwards) and stronger greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles (beginning MY 2027).
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Methane Reductions: A final rule was announced to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, including implementing a Waste Emissions Charge as directed by the IRA.
Power Plants: Final carbon pollution standards were published for power plants, setting CO2 limits for new gas-fired turbines and emission guidelines for existing coal, oil, and gas-fired units.
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HFCs Phasedown: The HFC Allocation program continued its phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with an 85% reduction target by 2036.
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GHG Reporting: Amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) were finalized to incorporate IRA changes, address reporting gaps, and update global warming potentials.
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Renewable Fuel Standard Program: EPA continued to implement this program, requiring renewable fuel to replace petroleum-based transportation fuel.
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Climate Disclosure: The SEC finalized rules for enhanced and standardized climate-related disclosures for investors, aiming to unify ESG reporting for publicly traded companies in the US. The Clean Competition Act, a proposed amendment to the Internal Revenue Code, would include a carbon border adjustment on energy-intensive products, with reports starting in 2026.
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Renewable Energy Development:
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Record Production: The U.S. produced a record amount of energy in 2024, with biofuels, wind, and solar each setting new domestic production records.
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Increased Share: Solar and wind together accounted for a record 17% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2024, surpassing coal’s share (15%). Solar was the fastest-growing source of electricity, with 27% growth from 2023, and wind grew by 8%.
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New Capacity: 93% of new energy capacity that came online in 2024 was clean energy (solar, wind, and storage), with 49 GW deployed—a 33% increase over 2023. Total clean energy capacity connected to the U.S. grid reached 313 GW.
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State-Level Initiatives: Many states released updated climate plans and strategies to meet clean energy targets, with some establishing heat pump installation goals and allocating funding for incentives. States also took steps to modernize and expand the electric grid.
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International Cooperation:
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Paris Agreement Reengagement: The U.S. continued its active participation in the Paris Agreement, aiming for a 61-66% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2035.
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Climate Finance: The U.S. fulfilled President Biden’s commitment to quadruple U.S. climate finance for developing countries, reaching $11.4 billion by 2024, including enhanced support for adaptation efforts.
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COP29: A high-level U.S. delegation attended the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, to highlight U.S. leadership and work towards strong negotiated outcomes.
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Multilateral Engagement: The U.S. continued to strengthen global cooperation through various forms, including the Global Methane Pledge (aiming for at least 30% methane reduction by 2030) and efforts in international shipping emissions.
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Green Trade: Efforts were focused on aligning green industrial policy with green trade to incentivize industrial decarbonization and leverage new markets created by clean energy investments.
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In essence, 2024 demonstrated the escalating tangible impacts of climate change on the U.S., which was met with continued and intensified policy actions at the federal and state levels, particularly leveraging the IRA, and a commitment to international climate finance and cooperation.
References
1 2024: An active year of U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters
2 2024 was nation’s warmest year on record
3 FACT SHEET: Celebrating Two Years of the Inflation Reduction Act
4. NEW REPORT: Clean Energy Dominates in 2024
5. US Electricity 2025 – Special Report
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/us-electricity-2025-special-report/
6. How heat pumps became America’s hottest home energy system
https://www.rewiringamerica.org/stories/heat-pumps-becoming-hottest-home-energy-system