2. Strategic Rollback: Dismantling the U.S. Climate Regulatory Framework

The recent executive action by U.S. President Donald Trump involves revoking the 2009 \'Endangerment Finding,\' a scientific and legal cornerstone that classified greenhouse gases (GHGs) as pollutants. This move represents a paradigm shift in American environmental governance, moving from mandatory emissions curbing to a deregulatory model focused on energy dominance and cost reduction. Key Summary Points for UPSC • Revocation of the Endangerment Finding: The administration has officially repealed the 2009 EPA determination which stated that six greenhouse gases (including $CO_2$ and methane) pose a threat to public health and welfare. This finding was the prerequisite for all federal climate regulations. • Automobile Standards Elimination: Concurrent with the repeal, the administration eliminated greenhouse gas emission standards for all motor vehicles (Model Years 2012–2027+), aiming to reduce new car costs and restore \'consumer choice.\' • Economic Rationale vs. Environmental Risk: The EPA projects regulatory savings of over $1.3 trillion. Conversely, critics and scientists warn of long-term economic and health costs exceeding $1.5 trillion due to increased extreme weather and respiratory illnesses. • Shift in Judicial Interpretation: The move leverages recent Supreme Court doctrines, specifically the \'Major Questions Doctrine\' and the overturning of \'Chevron Deference,\' arguing that the EPA lacks explicit Congressional authority to regulate the global climate. • Impact on Energy Sector: Beyond transport, the repeal places restrictions on power plant carbon emissions and methane leak regulations for oil and gas producers in jeopardy, signaling a \'fossil-fuel first\' energy policy.• Global Climate Leadership: As the world’s second-largest emitter, the U.S. retreat from domestic climate laws complicates international efforts like the Paris Agreement and may trigger similar deregulatory trends elsewhere. Constitutional and Legal Provisions • U.S. Clean Air Act (CAA), Section 202(a): Originally interpreted by the Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA (2007) to include GHGs as \'air pollutants\' that the EPA must regulate if they endanger health. • Major Questions Doctrine: A judicial principle stating that if an agency seeks to decide an issue of major national significance, its action must be supported by clear congressional authorization. • Loper Bright v. Raimondo (2024): A landmark ruling that ended \'Chevron Deference,\' meaning courts no longer defer to an agency’s interpretation of ambiguous statutes, shifting the power of legal interpretation back to the judiciary. • Article 21 (India Context): While this is a U.S. development, UPSC aspirants should note the contrast with the Indian Judiciary’s \'Right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change,\' recently recognized as a fundamental right under the Right to Life. Important Definitions • Endangerment Finding: A formal regulatory conclusion that specific substances (GHGs) are reasonably anticipated to harm public health or welfare. • Orange Economy (Contextual): While distinct, the creative sectors often advocate for green transitions; however, here the \'Brown Economy\' (fossil fuel-based) is being prioritized. • Regulatory Capture: A situation where a regulatory agency, created to act in the public interest, instead advances the commercial or political concerns of special interest groups (e.g., fossil fuel industry). • Social Cost of Carbon (SCC): An estimate, in dollars, of the economic damages that would result from emitting one additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. UPSC Relevance • GS Paper II: International relations and the impact of policies of developed countries on India\'s interests; judicial doctrines in comparative governance. • GS Paper III: Environmental pollution and degradation; Climate Change negotiations (COP); Impact of global deregulation on India’s Green Hydrogen and EV missions. • Ethics (GS IV): The conflict between short-term economic gains (regulatory savings) and long-term intergenerational equity (climate safety). Conclusion The dismantling of the U.S. climate legal basis marks a significant departure from two decades of environmental jurisprudence. While the administration frames this as \'common-sense deregulation\' to boost the economy, it creates a vacuum in global climate governance. For India, this move may result in increased pressure to lead green initiatives, but it also risks fluctuating global energy markets and weakened international climate finance commitments.