Trump administration stalls climate pollution report as U.S. emissions progress slows
The United States failed to meet a key international deadline to report its greenhouse gas emissions, prompting an environmental group to release the data, which shows the country is falling behind on its climate goals.
Grace Manthey and Tracy J. Wholf report for CBS News.
In short:
- For the first time in nearly 30 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not publish its annual greenhouse gas inventory by the United Nations' April deadline; the Environmental Defense Fund obtained and released the data through a Freedom of Information Act request.
- The U.S. has reduced its gross greenhouse gas emissions by 17% since 2005, far short of its stated goal to cut them by 26–28% by 2025 and by 61–66% by 2035.
- Carbon dioxide remains the dominant greenhouse gas, with 93% of emissions coming from fossil fuel combustion; the transportation sector is now the largest emitter, surpassing electric power.
Key quote:
"We have to further accelerate the pace of those reductions to meet our science-based climate commitments."
— Peter Zalzal, associate vice president of clean air strategies for the Environmental Defense Fund
Why this matters:
The data reveal that progress toward climate targets has slowed to a crawl. With just a 17% emissions drop since 2005, the country is nowhere near its goal of slashing emissions by over 60% by 2035. Carbon dioxide, mostly from fossil fuel combustion, continues to dominate the nation’s emissions profile, and a rollback of climate policies threatens to deepen the crisis. Delays in reporting or acting on this data not only undermines international trust — it also risks public health, as air pollution and climate-driven disasters worsen.
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