US President Joe Biden addresses media representatives during a press conference at the NATO summit
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)The US Supreme Court has limited Joe Biden’s power to cut emissions.
It has restricted the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal and gas-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act anti-pollution law.
In a 6-3 ruling, the court sided with the conservative states and fossil-fuel companies.
This is a blow to Biden who came into office with the aim to cut power sector emissions to net zero by 2035 by using the EPA.
The US President said his administration was reviewing the Supreme Court ruling and studying its options in a statement.
He said: “While this decision risks damaging our nation’s ability to keep our air clean and combat climate change, I will not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis.”
Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former EPA enforcement chief, said the Supreme Court decision will force “EPA back to drawing board”.
The EPA may focus on individual plants but it does not have authority to start a nationwide shift from using coal to cleaner sources like wind and solar.
There are currently no regulations in force to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, source of about a quarter of the nation’s greenhouse gases.
