Environmental policy reversals causing economic instability

U.S. faces rapid policy changes with each administration, impacting environmental regulations and economic stability.

Coral Davenport reports for The New York Times.


In short:

  • The Biden administration is reinstating stringent pollution controls, reversing previous relaxations by the Trump administration.
  • Business leaders and economists express concerns over the erratic policy environment hindering long-term industrial planning and investment.
  • The pattern of frequent policy reversals affects various sectors, including energy and automobile industries, leading to increased costs and uncertainty.

Key quote:

“If that planning is happening now and I make a decision anticipating that three or four years from now there will be an emissions constraint, but then by the time the model is on the market the constraint is gone, then I’ve lost money."

— John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation

Why this matters:

The frequent changes in U.S. environmental policies under different administrations create significant economic disruptions and uncertainties. This inconsistency complicates long-term business planning and investment, impeding sustainable economic and environmental progress.

Flashback to June 2020: As the nation reels, Trump Administration continues environmental policy rollbacks.

Aerial view of lower end of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam

As litigation looms and drought takes its toll, state officials defiant over Colorado River's future

Years of negotiations between Colorado and six other Colorado River Basin states have failed to produce a new agreement on water allocations.
Smart grid virtual battery energy storage network with house office factory buildings, solar panel plant, wind and li-ion electricity backup. Electric car charging on renewable power supply system.
Credit: petovarga/BigStock Photo ID: 441378998

Notes from Illinois’ virtual power plant frontier

Solrite is the latest energy services company to venture into Illinois, a sign of how quickly a new state law has jumpstarted the market.
Lobster men keeping Maine's sorting live lobsters to be sold at the docks at the end of their work day in Vinalhaven Island Maine.
Credit: WoodysPhotos/BigStock Photo ID: 213106882

Lobsters and acidic seas: Can shellfish help neutralise one of the greatest threats to the ocean?

Crustaceans are the subject of tests to see if alkalis added to seawater, so it absorbs more CO2, harm marine life. But Trump’s halt to funding threatens to scupper the research.

Environmental Protection Agency sign at the EPA Building in Washington, DC
Credit: Paul Brady/BigStock Photo ID: 233412370

A Supreme Court case may be slowing Trump’s next climate rollback

“EPA is trying to have their cake and eat it, too,” said one environmental lawyer.
Urban inner city traffic jam

What happens to people’s health when air pollution is reduced?

Growing evidence that cutting coal use and bans on high-polluting vehicles are leading directly to health benefits.

Two men dressed in protective gear - pads and helmets with face shields - while either detaining or helping a third man

Extreme heat waves fuel political tensions in Europe

At the limits of adaptation, governments face a choice: point fingers, or seize the moment for transformational change.
Head shot of Black man against blue sky with sweat-beaded face suffering from the heat

Northwest Indiana residents in ‘survival mode’ as outages drag on

Tens of thousands of people in northwest Indiana are entering a second week without power after a deadly storm toppled trees and power lines.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.