Biden signs executive actions on COVID, climate change

Hours after he was sworn in, US President Joe Biden signed a raft of executive orders to launch his administration on Wednesday, including a decision to rejoin the Paris climate accord.

The United States under the Trump administration had abandoned the agreement late last year.

US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the US into the Paris climate agreement on Wednesday, CNN reported. "We are going to combat climate change in a way we have not done so far," Biden said.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris on December 12, 2015, and entered into force on November 4, 2016. It aims to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degree Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

Biden's action on Paris sends a strong message that the US is prepared to cooperate in the fight against climate change and to reclaim the leadership role it once held, experts say.

Other executive actions include implementing a mask mandate on federal property and increasing support for underserved communities.

"I thought there's no time to wait. Get to work immediately," he told reporters.

Biden also called the letter outgoing US President Trump left for him very "generous," but said he wouldn't divulge the contents because they are "private."