In early 2026, the United States government under President Donald Trump continued a series of actions rolling back major climate protections that had been built up over previous administrations.

One of the most consequential moves involves the planned repeal of a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientific “endangerment finding”, a determination that greenhouse gases — including carbon dioxide — pose a threat to public health and welfare. That finding has long served as the legal foundation for federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, supporting regulations on vehicle tailpipes, industrial pollution, and other sources of climate-warming gases. A formal announcement to rescind the finding is expected to be finalized by the EPA in Washington.

By repealing this central scientific basis, the administration would effectively eliminate the authority the federal government has used to justify a wide range of greenhouse gas rules, potentially undoing emissions standards on cars, trucks, and other mobile sources. Officials call it one of the largest deregulatory actions in U.S. history.

In addition to this repeal effort, the U.S. administration has taken other steps that mark a departure from prior climate policy approaches, including directing support for coal-fired power plants, reversing emissions limits, and slowing enforcement of existing regulations. These actions are part of a broader regulatory strategy that prioritizes economic and energy development objectives over climate mitigation measures.

Critics — including environmental groups and scientists — argue that such rollbacks could hinder long-term efforts to reduce carbon emissions and slow global warming, while supporters say deregulation reduces costs for businesses and consumers. Legal challenges and debates in federal courts are anticipated as these changes proceed.

This shift in U.S. climate policy occurs against the backdrop of rising international expectations for climate action, including commitments under global agreements aimed at limiting temperature increases and reducing greenhouse gas emissions — frameworks from which the U.S. is no longer participating.