White House: Agencies to Consider Climate Change in New Regulations

Last week, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released final guidance for federal departments and agencies to consider greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the effects of climate change when conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews of new regulations. Simply put, newly proposed regulations moving forward will have to consider how GHGs and climate change may be connected to the rule. According to the White House, the guidance, "...will allow decision makers and the public to more fully understand the potential climate impacts of all proposed Federal actions, and in turn, assist agencies in comparing alternatives and considering measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change."

This guidance will not require any GHG or climate change actions related to new proposals, but will likely impact decision makers and their regulatory approaches. This change also adds another level to an already very slow and bureaucratic regulatory process.