For the second time in as many weeks, President Joe Biden issued sweeping executive orders to confront global climate change and other environmental crises.

The orders elevate climate change as a key foreign policy and national security priority, temporarily pause new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, and set a national goal of protecting 30% of Americas land and water by 2030. The orders are part of a blitz of early executive actions unraveling former President Donald Trumps legacy, from his botched response to the coronavirus pandemic to his ban on transgender Americans serving in the military.

Today is climate day at the White House, which means that today is jobs day at the White House, Biden said, kicking off a signing ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the White House. In my view, weve already waited too long to deal with this climate crisis. We cant wait any longer.

Environmentalists are celebrating the latest orders as confirmation that climate will continue to be a top priority of the new Biden administration.

Hes gotten straight to work reversing the devastating ignorance of science and catastrophic environmental rollbacks over the last four years, Natalie Mebane, associate director of policy at 350.org , said in a statement.

Bidens latest actions will:

Put A Freeze On New Federal Oil And Gas Leases

The order directs the secretary of the Interior Department to pause to the extent possible new oil and gas leasing activity on federal lands and offshore waters. It also kicks off a rigorous review of all existing leasing and permitting practices related to fossil fuel development on public lands and waters, according to the administration.

The action does not impact existing federal leases or drilling activity on state, private and tribal lands.

Experts say the move is unlikely to severely impact the oil and gas sector, which maintains drilling rights on more than 20 million federal acres not yet in production and stockpiled hundreds of federal leases and permits in the waning days of Trumps tenure.

The licenses that currently are operating are not going to be disrupted, Jennifer Granholm, Bidens nominee to lead the Department of Energy, said during her confirmation hearing Wednesday. They will continue to operate. The oil and gas industry in particular, they have 10,000 licenses. They can continue to permit and deploy.