Trump Administration Moves to Dismantle Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to dismantle the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, a federal program established in 2010 to track greenhouse gas emissions across the US economy. The program covers more than 8,000 facilities, including power plants, fuel suppliers, and factories, which account for 85-90 percent of the country's planet-warming pollution. This move aligns with President Donald Trump's administration's efforts to undercut efforts against climate change, despite his predecessor, Joe Biden, establishing a methane fee on oil and gas operations in 2022.

Key Takeaways:

• The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program has been in operation since 2010, covering over 8,000 facilities that account for 85-90 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
• The program was established through an act of Congress, but the EPA argues it is not legally obliged to continue collecting data, except for methane emissions.
• The administration cites the "Big Beautiful Bill" as the reason for suspending data collection until 2034, although a climate law passed in 2022 established a methane fee on oil and gas operations.
• Democrats have criticized the move, stating it would undermine action at local, state, national, and international levels, as well as hand an advantage to China.
• The program has provided valuable data to policymakers, scientists, investors, and the public, serving as the de facto standard for many companies' climate disclosures.
• Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has highlighted the importance of the program, stating it allows US industry to market itself as cleaner than foreign competitors.

Statistics:

• The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program covers over 8,000 facilities.
• These facilities account for 85-90 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
• The program has been in operation since 2010.
• Eliminating the program would remove a critical source of climate data for policymakers and industry.
• The methane fee established in 2022 applies to oil and gas operations.

Sources:

• "US producer inflation unexpectedly falls in first drop since April"
• AFP
• Union of Concerned Scientists
• Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
• "Big Beautiful Bill" (no official name or date)
• "EPW Democrats Obtain Documents Showing Trump EPA's Plan to End Facility-Level GHG Emissions Reporting" (doc.afp.com)