By Tendai Keith Guvamombe
In what is being hailed as the “single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history,” the Trump administration officially revoked the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding on February 12, 2026. This move, announced by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin alongside President Donald Trump, effectively dismantles the legal and scientific foundation that has underpinned federal climate regulations for nearly 17 years.
By terminating this finding, the EPA has stripped itself of the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, marking a seismic shift in American environmental policy.
The primary target of this rollback is the automotive industry. Alongside the revocation, the EPA eliminated all federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles for model years ranging from 2012 to 2027 and beyond.
The administration argues that these “Obama-era” mandates were a “Green New Scam” that artificially inflated vehicle prices and limited consumer choice.
According to White House estimates, the move could save American taxpayers over $1.3 trillion and reduce the average cost of a new vehicle by more than $2,400.
However, the decision has sparked immediate and fierce backlash from environmental groups and public health advocates. Critics argue that by removing the “trigger” for regulation, the administration is ignoring the settled science of climate change and exposing future generations to worsening heatwaves, wildfires, and floods.
Legal experts also warn that this move creates massive regulatory uncertainty. For years, the existence of federal standards protected companies from “public nuisance” lawsuits; without these federal guardrails, automakers may face a new wave of litigation in state courts.
The repeal of the endangerment finding is expected to have a “domino effect” across other sectors. While the immediate focus is on tailpipe emissions—the largest source of U.S. climate pollution—the loss of this legal foundation makes it significantly easier for the administration to overturn regulations on power plants and oil and gas operations.
As the United States once again retreats from international climate commitments like the Paris Agreement, the world watches to see if this “structural” deregulation will survive the inevitable flurry of legal challenges already being filed by organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund.
