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Last Updated: March 24, 2021, 12:17 AM EDT

This is Day 12 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Top headlines:

Here is how events are unfolding. All times Eastern.
Jan 27, 2021, 2:30 PM EST

Biden signs executive actions to address 'climate crisis'

Biden has signed a series of actions on climate change, fulfilling campaign promises such as freezing new oil and gas leasing on federal land and kicking off his ambitious agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- making tackling climate change a priority across the federal government.

In addition to Biden’s domestic policy priorities on climate, one executive order sets climate change as a key consideration for U.S. national security and foreign policy. It also sets up the U.S. to host an international climate summit on Earth Day on April 22.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden signs executive orders after speaking on tackling climate change, creating jobs, and restoring scientific integrity in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, 2021.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry watch as President Joe Biden signs executive orders after speaking on tackling climate change, creating jobs, and restoring scientific integrity in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, 2021.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

The order directs the federal government to purchase electric, zero-emissions vehicles for its enormous fleet, double the country's offshore wind energy, establish a Civilian Climate Corps and sets the goal of conserving at least 30% of the country's lands and oceans. It also directs federal agencies to address the health, environmental and climate impacts on disadvantaged communities and to direct 40% of relevant federal investment to those areas.

Biden has tasked former Secretary of State John Kerry, in his position as special presidential envoy for climate, with “enhanced climate ambition” to increase the U.S. commitment and push other countries to reduce carbon dioxide emissions even further in the fight against climate change, another part of the order.

Wednesday's actions follow several climate-related executive orders Biden signed in his first few days in office, including rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate and revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Biden’s aggressive actions come after former President Donald Trump rolled back much of his predecessor’s climate work, a point Biden acknowledged in his remarks.

-ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs and Sarah Kolinovsky

Jan 27, 2021, 2:02 PM EST

Biden pitches climate plan as a jobs plan

Ahead of signing executive actions tackling climate change, Biden delivered remarks from the White House State Dining Room and was joined by Harris, along with former Secretary and State and now presidential envoy of climate John Kerry and national climate adviser Gina McCarthy, who had just come from briefing reporters.

"Today is climate day at the White House and -- which means that today is jobs day at the White House," Biden began. "We're talking about American innovation, American products, American labor. And we're talking about the health of our families, and cleaner water, cleaner air, and cleaner communities. We're talking about national security, and America leading the world in a clean energy future."

Biden said his plan provides "concrete, actionable solutions" not "pie in the sky dreams" to address problems plaguing the country, including extreme weather and poor air quality.

"Just like we need a unified national response to COVID-19, we desperately need a unified national response to the climate crisis because there is a climate crisis. We must lead global response," he said, drawing a contrast with the Trump administration's isolationist approach.

As he did on the campaign trail, Biden said he wanted to "be clear" that he would not ban fracking but that the executive order he was signing would help create new jobs among other climate-focused initiatives.

"This is a case where conscience and convenience cross paths, where dealing with this existential threat to the planet and increasing our economic growth and prosperity are one and the same," he said.

Jan 27, 2021, 1:43 PM EST

John Kerry argues it will cost country 'a lot more' to ignore climate change

Former Secretary of State John Kerry -- the nation's first ever special presidential envoy for climate -- discussed the climate plan and the impact it will have on jobs in a press briefing with reporters Wednesday ahead of Biden signing climate-focused executive actions.

In response to a question from ABC News' Chief White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega, Kerry said that efforts to improve climate will not come at the expense of American workers.

"Unfortunately, workers have been fed a false narrative -- no surprise, right? -- for the last few years," Kerry said in a nod to the Trump administration. "They've been fed the notion that, somehow, dealing with climate is coming at their expense. No, it's not. What's happening to them is happening because other market forces are already taking place."

Pressed later on the cost of the the Biden administration's plans, Kerry said it costs "a lot more" to dismiss climate change than it will to address it now.

"There are countless economic analyses now that show that it is now cheaper to deal with the crisis of climate than it is to ignore it," he said.

Jan 27, 2021, 1:10 PM EST

Biden's climate team participates in White House press briefing

Former Secretary of State and now the nation's first ever climate envoy, John Kerry, along with Biden's national climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, joined together in the White House press briefing room Wednesday ahead of Biden signing executive actions on climate change.

"This executive order establishes a White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, and it directs everyone who works for the president to use every tool available at our disposal to solve the climate crisis. Because we're going to take a whole of government approach. We're going to power our economy with clean energy," McCarthy said.

The duo discussed the urgency of addressing climate change and the need for global intervention -- in a stark contrast with the priorities of the Trump administration.

"We could go to zero tomorrow, and the problem isn't solved. So that's why today, one week into the job, President Biden will sign this additional executive set of orders to help move us down the road, ensuring that ambitious climate action is global in scope and scale, as well as national -- here at home," Kerry said.

Kerry also detailed the plans to further the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement at another meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, in April.

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