U.S. Considers Reversing Legal Basis of Climate Policy, Sources Say

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly preparing a proposal to reverse the scientific declaration that greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health, two sources familiar with the process told Reuters. This decision would weaken the legal foundation of the country’s main climate regulations.

The measure would directly affect the so-called “endangerment finding” issued in 2009, which allowed the EPA to regulate emissions of polluting gases from vehicles, industries, and power plants. Without that legal basis, experts warn, the agency would have a free hand to dismantle key regulations on emissions.

An EPA spokesman confirmed that the proposal was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget on June 30 for review, and that it will be subject to public comment after being signed by the agency’s administrator. The Washington Post was the first to report on this decision.

Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice recently issued a landmark advisory opinion that describes greenhouse gas emissions as an existential threat, urging countries to establish concrete and cooperative goals for their reduction. For their part, jurists warn that reversing the scientific basis would be difficult due to the overwhelming evidence on the human impact on climate change.

Since 2007, following the Supreme Court ruling in the case Massachusetts vs. EPA , the agency has the authority—and the duty—to regulate polluting gases. However, the current Trump administration has signaled its intention to review that responsibility. White House budget director Ross Vought called the review “necessary,” arguing that the regulations derived from the original determination harmed the U.S. economy.