Trump Administration Poised to Dismantle US Climate Regulations in Global 'Betrayal'
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Donald Trump is preparing to dismantle the legal foundation of US climate regulation, a move that campaigners have labelled a "betrayal" of poorer nations and global efforts to combat the climate crisis. The White House has described this action as "the largest deregulatory action in American history," with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating it will eliminate "$1.3 trillion in crushing regulations."
Endangerment Finding at Risk
The EPA is set to rescind the 2009 "endangerment finding," a scientific determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. This finding underpins nearly all federal limits on planet-heating emissions under the Clean Air Act, including vehicle pollution standards, methane rules, and restrictions on emissions from power plants and industrial facilities. Without it, the agency's authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases would be severely constrained.
The endangerment finding followed the Supreme Court's 2007 ruling in Massachusetts v EPA, which determined that greenhouse gases qualify as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act and that the agency must regulate them if they are found to endanger public health or welfare. Since its issuance in 2009, federal courts have repeatedly upheld it against legal challenges.
Scientific Backing and Economic Impact
After the EPA proposed repealing the finding last year, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reassessed the scientific basis and concluded the original determination was "accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence." The panel added, "The evidence for current and future harm to human health and welfare created by human-caused greenhouse gases is beyond scientific dispute."
Vehicle standards finalised in 2024 were built on this finding and aimed to cut passenger vehicle tailpipe emissions by nearly 50 per cent by 2032 compared with projected 2027 levels. The EPA previously stated those standards would deliver net benefits of $99 billion annually through 2055, including lower fuel and maintenance costs for drivers.
Global and Public Health Consequences
Harjeet Singh, a climate activist and strategic advisor to the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, warned that the rollback would have consequences far beyond US borders. "This betrayal doesn't just doom its own citizens, it also condemns millions in developing nations who contribute the least to this crisis yet will suffer the most from the supercharged storms and droughts," he said.
Toneýhn Verkitus, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, called the rescission "a government-sanctioned crime against public health and the environment." He added, "The current administration's rejection of overwhelming, science-based evidence signals a profound disregard for the wellbeing of our planet and a clear prioritisation of corporate interests over human life."
Economic and Legal Fallout
Andreas Sieber, head of political strategy at 350.org, argued that the repeal would weaken the country's economic standing as other nations accelerate the transition to clean energy. "By dismantling the legal backbone of climate and pollution protections, the administration is trading public health and economic competitiveness for short-term fossil-fuel interests," he said.
Dan Becker, director of the Center for Biological Diversity's Safe Climate Transport Campaign, stated in a press release that the repeal would undermine one of the most significant climate measures adopted by any country. "The EPA is killing the biggest single step any nation has taken to save oil, save consumers money at the pump, and combat global warming," he said.
Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, emphasised, "The science establishing harm to human health and the environment from global warming emissions was evident in 2009 and it's even more undeniable today. EPA has a legal obligation to regulate this pollution under the Clean Air Act."
Legal Challenges Ahead
The repeal is expected to trigger fresh legal challenges from environmental groups and states that have defended the endangerment finding for over a decade. Previous court rulings have consistently upheld the agency's authority to regulate greenhouse gases once the endangerment determination is in place, setting the stage for a contentious legal battle.
