Trump scraps one of the main US climate protection policies

US President Trump has decided to revoke the federal government’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The decision is one of the most significant environmental policy moves in modern US history. The New York Times reported.

At the heart of the US administration’s move is the repeal of a 2009 finding that responded to scientific advice from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. The finding served as the legal basis for federal limits on carbon dioxide, methane and other climate-warming pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Without this legal basis, the EPA can no longer regulate these emissions at the federal level. President Trump, who has repeatedly dismissed the conclusions of climate panels as a hoax, called the EPA finding an overreach from the “Obama era” and described its repeal as the biggest deregulatory action in US history. He added that climate rules had harmed economic growth and limited consumer choice, particularly in the automotive sector. The administration already attempted to repeal the rules last year.

The repeal opens the way to removing emissions limits for vehicles, power plants and oil and gas operations. Transport is currently the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, which is the world’s second-largest emitter after China.

Environmental advocates warn that the change could increase US emissions by approximately 10 % over the next three decades, with a significant impact not only on the climate but also on public health due to local emissions.

The government’s legal argument rests on a narrow interpretation of the Clean Air Act, which holds that only pollutants causing direct, local harm can be regulated. The Trump administration argues that greenhouse gases do not meet this definition.

The decision further deepens the US’s isolation in climate diplomacy. Under the Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries committed to limiting warming to 1,5 °C above pre-industrial levels. The United States withdrew from the agreement during Donald Trump’s first term and rejoined under President Joe Biden.

Trump subsequently succeeded in repealing many more laws. Democratic lawmakers and states including California have pledged to take legal action, paving the way for a lengthy court battle that could ultimately determine whether future administrations can restore federal climate regulation.