The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a final rule this week rescinding the 2009 "endangerment finding" that has served as the legal foundation for U.S. climate regulations, according to a White House official.
The Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, providing the legal underpinning for nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act [PBS]. The finding has been used to justify regulations for motor vehicles, power plants, and other pollution sources.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman appointed by President Trump, has criticized previous Democratic administrations, saying they were "willing to bankrupt the country" in efforts to combat climate change [PBS]. Conservative groups and congressional Republicans have long sought to undo what they consider overly restrictive and economically damaging greenhouse gas regulations.
Environmental groups are describing the reversal as potentially the single biggest attack in U.S. history on federal efforts to address climate change, with legal challenges expected to follow any action that effectively repeals existing regulations [PBS].
The policy reversal comes as new data underscores the ongoing climate crisis. Scientists found that the hot, dry, and windy conditions that fueled the devastating Southern California wildfires in January 2025 were made approximately 35% more likely due to human-induced climate change [Yale Climate Connections].
Meanwhile, the United Nations continues to sound alarms about insufficient global action on emissions. The UN Environment Programme's latest Emissions Gap Report shows some progress since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, with projected 2030 greenhouse gas emissions now expected to increase by 3% rather than the previously projected 16% [UN].
However, the UN warns that predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions must still fall by 28% for the Paris Agreement's 2°C pathway and 42% for the more ambitious 1.5°C pathway [UN]. Global warming has already reached 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, leading to increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events worldwide.
The UN reports that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require "rapid and far-reaching" transitions across multiple sectors, with global net carbon dioxide emissions needing to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero around 2050 [UN].
Environmental advocacy groups, including the Environmental Law & Policy Center, have filed multiple lawsuits challenging various EPA regulatory rollbacks, arguing that the agency has illegally repealed climate protections [ELPC]. These groups continue to push for stronger environmental justice policies, particularly for minority communities that may face disproportionate impacts from weakened regulations.
The policy divergence highlights the stark contrast between the current administration's approach to environmental regulation and international scientific consensus on the urgency of climate action. As federal climate policies face rollbacks, the consequences of these regulatory changes may become more apparent through increased frequency and severity of climate-related disasters.