Wednesday, US President Joe Biden launched several executive actions to tackle climate change and pledged there would be more.

After a previous effort to advance his environmental program was thwarted by unsupportive politicians and a conservative Supreme Court, Biden is attempting to get the plan forward.

As a result of soaring summer temperatures, about 100 million Americans are currently under excessive heat alerts, and Europe is also experiencing unseasonably high temperatures.

What did the president say?

Biden delivered a speech announcing the steps at a former coal-fired power plant in Massachusetts and stated that his administration would do whatever was necessary, with or without legislative assistance.

He stated that climate change posed "literally an existential threat to our nation and the world" and that Congress failed to act as it should.

"I said last week, and I say it again loud and clear: As president, I'll use my executive powers to combat ... the climate crisis in the absence of congressional action." the president stated last week.

"In the coming weeks, I'm going to use the power I have as president to turn these words into formal, official government actions through the appropriate proclamations, executive orders and regulatory powers that a president possesses."

Biden refrained from declaring an official emergency, a move that would have granted him extra policy authority.

What are the criteria?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide $2.3 billion (€2.26 billion) to help states "increase resilience to heat waves, drought, wildfires, flood, hurricanes, and other hazards by preparing before disaster strikes."

New cash might enhance flood control, reinforce infrastructure, upgrade buildings, and assist low-income households with cooling bills.

Large portions of the Gulf of Mexico have been identified as potential sites for offshore wind energy development as part of the White House's support for the domestic offshore wind industry.

What is Biden's climate action record?

Since Biden's inauguration, during which he pledged to fulfill campaign promises to combat the global climate issue, his plan has encountered recurrent hurdles.

The president signed an executive order on his first day in office to rejoin the United States in the Paris climate agreement.

This was followed by an ambitious statement that he desired a 50-52 percent decrease in US net greenhouse gas pollution from 2005 levels by 2030.

Biden's hallmark Build Back Better proposal, which would have poured over $550 billion towards clean energy and other climate projects, appears doomed after failing to garner the necessary support from Congress.

Joe Manchin, a Democrat in the evenly divided House, stated that he would not support the plan, dashing expectations for significant reform.

The United States Supreme Court concluded last month that the federal government lacks broad authority to control greenhouse gas emissions from power facilities.