Biden says history is "watching us now" on climate as he makes first visit by sitting U.S. president to Amazon rainforest

Washington — President Biden urged leaders to work to protect the environment on Sunday, during a visit to the Amazon rainforest that marked the first such trip by any sitting U.S. president in history, warning that "history is literally watching us now."

"Today, I'm proud to be here — the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest — to recommit to protecting the rainforests, like this one" the president said. He added that "the fight to protect our planet is literally a fight for humanity for generations to come."

Mr. Biden has made addressing climate change a key part of his policy agenda, approving legislation that reduces emissions, while setting the country on a path toward a transition to green energy. With the visit Sunday, the president highlighted his commitment to combatting global deforestation and conserving forests as part of what the White House calls Mr. Biden's "historic climate legacy."

The president said the "fight against climate change has been a defining cause of my presidency," touting rejoining the Paris Agreement, launching a global methane pledge and delivering on climate financing. The president announced during the visit that the U.S. has reached its goal of increasing its climate finance to over $11 billion a year, up from $1.5 billion when Mr. Biden took office. He also designated Nov. 17 as International Conservation Day, while the administration announces new conservation efforts including $50 million for the Amazon Fund, among other initiatives. And he cited the passage of the "most significant climate change law in history," referring to the Inflation Reduction Act, which cuts carbon while creating clean energy investments and jobs.  

Mr. Biden outlined that leaders "don't have to choose between the environment and the economy," urging that "we can do both."

Earlier Sunday, Mr. Biden took an aerial tour of the Amazon rainforest and he met local and Indigenous leaders and toured a local museum, before he's set to head to Rio de Janeiro for the G20 summit with world leaders. 

The trip comes after the president has been attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru in recent days, where he met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. 

The historic visit comes as climate advocates have warned of the environmental consequences of President-elect Donald Trump's plans to rollback the Biden administration's efforts to combat climate change. 

The president addressed his term coming to an end in his remarks, saying he's leaving his successor and country with "a strong foundation to build on, if they choose to do so."

"It's true, some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that's underway in America, but nobody, nobody can reverse it," Mr. Biden said. "The question now is —which government will stand in the way, and which will seize the enormous economic opportunity."