Greta Thunberg: “Strange” that Biden would be considered a leader in climate

Climate activist Greta Thunberg slammed the Biden administration on climate policy in an interview with the Washington Post Monday, saying that it's "strange" to consider Biden a leader in the arena "when you see what his administration is doing."

What she's saying: "The U.S. is actually expanding fossil fuel infrastructure," Thunberg said. "Why is the U.S. doing that?"

• "It should not fall on us activists and teenagers who just want to go to school to raise this awareness and to inform people that we are actually facing an emergency," she added.

Flashback: Thunberg is no stranger to calling out climate actions she feels are ineffective or performative. Last month, she dismissed this year's COP26 as "a PR event" and she accused world leaders of "greenwashing."

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Andrew Freedman: The Biden administration set out ambitious goals for reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, including reaching 100% clean electricity by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

• However, Biden's main tool for meeting these goals is bogged down in Congress, putting them in doubt. He also has been combatting an increase in gas prices related to the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and other factors.
• This has led Biden to call for a temporary increase in global oil production. The White House also has not followed through on a campaign promise to crack down on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, instead aiming for reforming the process. Yet, it is also greatly expanding the areas open to renewables, such as offshore wind energy.

Go deeper: The climate policy effects of Manchin's "no" on Build Back Better