What Happened
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoked the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which classified six greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs, PFCs, and SF6) as threats to public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act.
- All greenhouse gas emissions standards for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles imposed between 2012 and 2027 have been eliminated.
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described this as the "single largest deregulatory action in US history."
- The decision is expected to face years of legal challenges, potentially reaching the US Supreme Court.
Static Topic Bridges
The EPA Endangerment Finding (2009)
The Endangerment Finding was issued on December 7, 2009, following the US Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA (2007), which held that greenhouse gases qualify as "air pollutants" under the Clean Air Act. The finding determined that the current and projected concentrations of six key greenhouse gases in the atmosphere threaten public health and welfare. It served as the legal foundation for all subsequent federal climate regulations, including vehicle emission standards, power plant rules, and oil and gas industry regulations.
- The Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA (2007) directed the EPA Administrator to determine whether GHG emissions endanger public health
- The finding was upheld by the US Court of Appeals (DC Circuit) in June 2012
- It underpinned the Clean Air Act's authority to regulate emissions from vehicles, power plants, and industrial sources
- Six gases covered: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride
Connection to this news: By revoking this foundational finding, the EPA has effectively removed the legal basis for all federal greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act, representing the most comprehensive rollback of climate policy in US history.
Paris Agreement and US Climate Commitments
The Paris Agreement (2015) commits 196 parties to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees. The US submitted notification of withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on January 27, 2025, effective January 27, 2026. As the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, US withdrawal raises significant concerns about the global climate architecture.
- Global projections with current NDCs place warming at 2.6-2.8 degrees Celsius by 2100
- The US withdrawal threatens climate finance flows to developing countries; financing needs amount to at least $1.3 trillion/year by 2030
- Parties agreed to a New Collective Quantified Goal of $300 billion annually by 2035 at COP29
- India's NDC targets 45% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070
Connection to this news: The revocation of the Endangerment Finding, combined with Paris Agreement withdrawal, signals a comprehensive US disengagement from climate action, which could delay global emissions reduction efforts and undermine the multilateral climate finance architecture that developing nations depend on.
Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) and Developing Country Implications
The CBDR principle, enshrined in the UNFCCC (1992) and reaffirmed in the Paris Agreement, recognises that while all nations share responsibility for addressing climate change, developed countries bear greater historical responsibility for accumulated emissions and must lead mitigation and finance efforts. Developing countries like India have consistently argued that developed nations must honour their climate finance pledges before expecting equal commitments from the Global South.
- The US is historically the largest cumulative emitter of greenhouse gases
- Annex I countries under the UNFCCC have financing obligations toward developing states, including technology transfer and capacity building
- The US executive order instructs the UN Ambassador to "cease or revoke any purported financial commitment" under the UNFCCC
- India's per capita emissions remain significantly lower than the US (approximately 2 tonnes vs. 14 tonnes CO2/year)
Connection to this news: The US dismantling its own domestic climate regulations while withdrawing from international commitments raises fundamental questions about equity in the global climate regime and could weaken the moral authority of developed nations when demanding climate action from developing countries.
Key Facts & Data
- EPA Endangerment Finding (2009) covered six greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act
- All vehicle GHG emission standards from 2012 to 2027 have been revoked
- US is the second-largest current emitter and the largest cumulative historical emitter of GHGs
- US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement became effective January 27, 2026
- Global climate finance target: $300 billion/year by 2035 (agreed at COP29)
- Legal challenges expected to last years, potentially reaching the US Supreme Court
- Massachusetts v. EPA (2007) was the original Supreme Court ruling that compelled the EPA to regulate GHGs