Renewables chief hails ‘crucial’ Biden climate agenda as administration plans massive energy overhaul

Renewables chief hails ‘crucial’ Biden climate agenda as administration plans massive energy overhaul

Demonstrators in Chicago protest President Donald Trump's decision to exit the Paris climate change accord on June 2, 2017.Scott Olson | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe International Renewable Energy Agency has hailed the U.S. decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord as a "crucial" step forward in the fight against climate change."It means a lot for the renewable world, and for the energy transition," Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency told CNBC at the Atlantic Council's annual Global Energy Forum. "Coming from a superpower, one of the big emitters in the world, this is really crucial and it's very important," he added. "I think it will make a difference."The Abu Dhabi-based organization serves as a platform for international cooperation on renewable energy and has more than 180 member countries globally. The backing comes as the new Joe Biden administration scrambles to reposition the United States as a global leader on climate change policy, after four years of environmental protection rollbacks under former President Donald Trump. "I'm optimistic that something has changed," La Camera said, after President Biden used his first days in office to rejoin the Paris Accord, block the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, restore public land