Revoking EPA’s endangerment finding – the keystone of US climate policies – isn’t simple and could have unintended consequences

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law & Graduate School

(THE CONVERSATION) Most of the United States’ major climate regulations are underpinned by one important document: It’s called the endangerment finding, and it concludes that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to human health and welfare.

The Trump administration is trying to eliminate it.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on July 29, 2025, that the EPA would soon publish a proposed rule to rescind the endangerment finding and allow 45 days for public comment.

A draft released by the EPA of the proposal argues that the agency didn’t have the authority to issue the endangerment finding in 2009 or regulations based on it. The draft also argues that U.S. vehicle emissions are not significant in terms of global emissions of greenhouse gases and that the costs to consumers outweigh the benefits.

These are dubious factual and legal propositions that will require deeper analysis once the proposal is officially published in the Federal Register.

Revoking the endangerment finding isn’t a...