Government climate data quietly removed as Trump administration reshapes policy
Since Donald Trump returned to office, thousands of federal climate and environmental data sets have been deleted or altered, raising concerns about transparency and public access to critical information.
Nicola Jones reports for Yale Environment 360.
In short:
- Around 2,000 records have disappeared from Data.gov since January, including tools tracking climate risks and environmental justice concerns.
- The Biden-era Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool and the EPA’s EJScreen were quickly removed, but researchers managed to preserve copies.
- Legal challenges are emerging, with groups suing federal agencies to restore missing public health and climate resources.
Key quote:
“When you start taking down this information, changing how issues are described and doing so in misleading ways, really, what it is, is censorship and propaganda.”
— Eric Nost, geographer, University of Guelph
Why this matters:
The restriction of public access to government environmental data has far-reaching consequences, affecting scientists, policymakers, and communities alike. Without open access to records on pollution levels, climate trends, and public health risks, it becomes much harder to track environmental hazards and plan for their impacts.
For marginalized communities — often the most vulnerable to pollution and climate change — the loss of accessible data makes it more difficult to advocate for protections and hold industries or agencies accountable. While some information may still exist within government databases, the reduction of public availability raises concerns about transparency and oversight. Scientists warn that limiting access to climate and pollution data could slow research and policy efforts aimed at addressing environmental crises. Meanwhile, environmental advocates argue that such moves undermine the public’s right to know about risks that affect air, water, and overall well-being.
Related: Farmers take legal action over removal of climate data from USDA websites
