Epa repeals obama-era climate rule, eliminating federal authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions

The Environmental Protection Agency has repealed a foundational 2009 rule that allowed the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions as pollutants, effectively dismantling the legal framework for federal climate action. The “endangerment finding,” established during the Obama administration, formally recognized the scientific consensus that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to current and future public health and welfare.

By eliminating this cornerstone regulation, the EPA has cleared the way to roll back emissions limits across multiple sectors, including vehicles, industry, and fossil fuel extraction. The decision removes both the legal authority and scientific justification that federal agencies have relied upon for over a decade to implement climate-related environmental protections.

The repeal has drawn sharp criticism from state leaders and environmental advocates. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move as a betrayal of the American people, warning it will lead to “more deadly wildfires, more extreme heat deaths, more climate-driven floods and droughts” while dismissing decades of protective scientific research. The timing is particularly concerning for climate scientists, who note that the past three years have been the warmest on record and global emissions are pushing Earth dangerously close to exceeding the 1.5°C warming threshold established by the Paris Agreement.

The decision comes as climate impacts intensify worldwide, with over 87 million people affected by climate-related disasters in 2025 alone. Conservation experts warn that rising temperatures continue to threaten vulnerable species with extinction while posing increasing risks to human health and safety.