US Supreme Court rules that EPA has power to limit emissions
Tue 03 April 2007
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The Supreme Court has ruled that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are 'pollutants' under the Clean Air Act and has authorised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate emissions from cars and trucks. The Bush administration has refused to impose limits on greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
In a 5-4 outcome, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA, a government agency, has the power to enforce greenhouse gas emissions regulations on cars and lorries. According to some reports, this could open the way for the introduction of regulations as early as next year.
Justice John Paul Stevens said that in the majority opinion: "A reduction in domestic emissions would slow the pace of global emissions increases, no matter what happens elsewhere...EPA has offered no reasoned explanation for its refusal to decide whether greenhouse gases cause or contribute to climate change."
The politics of climate change have changed dramatically since the Democrats took control of Congress last year. The outputs of the latest IPCC report and the influence of Al Gore's crusade are also reported to have been important.
The Supreme Court decision is expected to boost California's prospects for gaining EPA approval of its own programme to limit tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases. Other US states and individual cities have also agreed to enforce reductions.
The US is responsible for 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 37 per cent of the world's vehicles.
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