President Donald Trump announced on 12/2, "According to the process recently completed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we have terminated what was considered the endangerment finding. This harmful policy was enacted under the Obama administration, causing severe damage to the American automotive industry and driving up prices for consumers."

He was referring to the scientific conclusion adopted by the U.S. in 2009, which determined that "greenhouse gas emissions harm human health". This finding paved the way for the EPA to act under the Clean Air Act of 1963, aiming to limit emissions of CO2, methane, and four other types of greenhouse gases from vehicles, power plants, and other industries.

The revocation of this finding means the elimination of mandatory U.S. regulations for measuring, reporting, certifying, and complying with federal greenhouse gas emission standards for automobiles. However, this may not yet apply to fixed emission sources like power plants.

U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on 12/2. Photo: AP

Reuters news agency noted that this move represents the Trump administration's largest climate policy reversal to date, following a series of deregulation measures and steps aimed at removing barriers to fossil fuel development and hindering the deployment of clean energy.

Lee Zeldin, a leader at the EPA, stated that the agency had avoided taking this action during President Trump's first term due to industry concerns about legal and regulatory issues.

The Automotive Innovation Alliance, an organization representing major automakers, did not support President Trump's move. However, they noted the difficulty in meeting the automobile emission regulations issued by the previous administration, considering the current market demand for electric vehicles.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the current administration's actions. He stated, "We will be less safe, less healthy, and less able to combat climate change, just so the fossil fuel industry can make more money."

President Trump has repeatedly called climate change a "hoax" and withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, leaving the nation historically most responsible for global warming outside international efforts to address the issue. He also ended tax credits designed to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Pham Giang (According to Reuters)