Washington D.C. — The Trump administration’s repeal of the 2009 EPA finding on the public health dangers posed by greenhouse gas rejects established science while undermining U.S. security and prosperity. It will both weaken the federal government’s ability to manage climate risk and make it harder for U.S. companies to compete in global markets, where investment decisions, trade standards, and supply chain partnerships are increasingly oriented around the energy transition and resilience.
Here at home, extreme weather is already damaging critical infrastructure, disrupting food and energy supply chains, and raising insurance and housing costs. “Wildfire smoke degrading air quality, flooding that destroys homes and businesses, and heat waves stressing the power grid have become everyday realities for Americans around the country,” said Alex Stapleton, Senior Climate Policy Advisor at Foreign Policy for America. “Ignoring the science does not reduce those risks; it makes them more costly, more disruptive, and harder to manage.”
Internationally, stepping back from climate science undermines our ability to both partner and compete with countries that recognize climate change as central to their trade, energy security, and geostrategic interests. It also increases the likelihood that leadership in fast-growing clean-energy sectors and technologies will move their operations outside of the United States, leading to job losses and unrealized economic gains.
We are heartened that many states, local leaders, and businesses are pressing ahead to fill the absence of federal government leadership: taking action to enhance resilience, investing in secure clean-energy supply chains, and working with global partners to manage risk and stay competitive. That continued leadership helps protect American communities, while ensuring the U.S. remains competitive in the global energy transition.
###
