Joe Biden’s pledge to "transition away from the oil industry” to address global warming put the topic of climate change on center stage for the final stretch of a campaign year in which the issue has played a larger role than ever.
Biden’s statement in the closing moments of Thursday’s debate gave President Donald Trump what his campaign saw as an enormous opportunity to blunt his opponent’s appeal to working-class voters. Biden’s campaign tried to downplay it, saying he was merely stating that he would phase out long-standing tax subsidies for the oil industry.
But transitioning away from fossil fuels is the inevitable end game of Biden’s promise to end net carbon pollution by 2050. That policy has energized some young voters and helped unite the Democrats’ left and moderate wings, but has always carried risks for Biden.