The cumulative climate change effects of Trump's regulatory rollbacks
Published Date: 9/18/2020
Source: axios.com
Reproduced fromĀ Rhodium Climate Service; Chart: Axios Visuals The Trump administration's scuttling or weakening of key Obama-era climate policies could together add 1.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent to the atmosphere by 2035, a Rhodium Group analysis concludes. Why it matters: The 1.8 gigatons is "more than the combined energy emissions of Germany, Britain and Canada in one year," per the New York Times, which first reported on the study."This cumulative impact is equivalent to nearly one-third of all U.S. emissions in 2019," Rhodium notes.They still see U.S. emissions being lower in 2035 than today, but it's a smaller reduction that would have occurred absent the rollbacks.The research is an effort to look more holistically at a several separate policy moves and their effect on the country's long-term emissions. Threat level: "[T]he rollbacks we consider here are far from exhaustive. The current administration has reversed many more Obama-era rules with climate implications that are difficult to assess," the analysis states.How it works: Rhodium looked at several different policies, as the chart above shows. They includeThe decision to weaken Obama-era vehicle mileage and CO2 standards through the mid-2020s.Stripping California's power to impose tailpipe CO2 rules that a number of other states follow.Easing regulation of the potent planet-warming gas methane from oil-and-gas development.What we're watching: The election and the courts. Joe Biden has pledged to reverse President Trump's moves and impose even stronger emissions standards and policies than the Obama administration.Also, a number of states and activist groups are challenging key Trump administration regulatory changes in court.Go deeper: Trump's climate change rollbacks to drive up U.S. emissions (Politico)