The Trump administration has intensified its efforts to dismantle the United States’ climate policies, targeting federal regulations, state-led initiatives, and possibly even foundational international agreements like the UNFCCC. These moves have sparked significant concern among environmental experts and policymakers.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal agency of the U.S. responsible for protecting human health and the environment, is drafting a plan to remove federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, reversing regulations enacted under President Biden. The agency argues that emissions from these plants are a declining and minor part of global totals, a claim contested by climate scientists who emphasize the significant impact of such emissions on climate change and the fact that the U.S. is the world’s second largest CO2 emitter.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate voted to block California from enforcing its rule banning the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, a move championed by Republicans as part of a broader opposition to state-led climate initiatives. This decision undermines California’s authority under the Clean Air Act and affects 11 other states that had adopted similar standards. Critics also note that move also runs contrary to one of the Republican Party’s core tenets of placing power and independence in the hands of states rather than endorsing federal interventions.
Speculation is also mounting that President Trump may seek to withdraw the United States from the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the foundational treaty for global climate efforts, says Politico. Such a move would further distance the U.S. from international climate cooperation and could have significant implications for global climate policy.
