In 2021, the United States submitted a 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution for emissions reductions under the Paris Climate Agreement, with a target of 50-52% below 2005 levels. In 2025, the U.S. will submit a new Nationally Determined Contribution for 2035, which will set the pace and scale of new emissions reductions activities, as well as the affect the likelihood of achieving the U.S. climate commitment of net-zero emissions by 2050. This presentation characterizes the major elements of a successful 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution, including projected changes in electricity demand from vehicles, homes, industry, and Artificial Intelligence. Then, the presentation outlines a robust decision-making framework for setting the 2035 target that maximizes the likelihood of reaching the U.S. commitment of net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The presentation discusses the policy process in the White House, Executive Agencies, and Congress, and concludes with policy recommendations for developing a robust 2035 U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution for emissions reductions.

Bio: Dr. Constantine (Costa) Samaras is the Director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, and the Trustees Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. From 2021-2024, he served in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) as Principal Assistant Director for Energy, OSTP Chief Advisor for Energy Policy, and then OSTP Chief Advisor for the Clean Energy Transition. His research focuses on the pathways to clean, climate-safe, equitable, and secure energy and infrastructure systems. He is the Lead Author of the Mitigation Chapter of the 6th U.S. National Climate Assessment, and he is also a Founder and Director of both the Center for Engineering and Resilience for Climate Adaptation and the Power Sector Carbon Index.

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This public event is part of the Cornell Climate Impact Speaker Series and highlights the work of prominent leaders in climate change mitigation and adaptation. It is an opportunity for the Cornell community to hear from climate professionals in business, academia, philanthropy, and government and learn from their experiences and insights.
(A reception with conversation and refreshments will follow each event.)

Hosted by The 2030 Project: A Cornell Climate Initiative - harnessing the collaborative scholarship, science, innovation, and entrepreneurialism of a world-class research university to scale tangible climate solutions.