Biden Can Take Climate Action Across Range Of Executive Powers

 Today, the Revolving Door Project released a new 99-page report outlining a broad array of policies the administration can pursue to protect the climate and crack down on corporate polluters. The report, and a two-page summary of some of the highlights, are attached.

The report covers a broad slate of policies the administration should pursue under existing responsibilities assigned by previous Congresses without needing any additional Congressional authorization. These include actions at the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior, as well as agencies whose climate potential is less broadly recognized, including the Department of Justice, financial regulatory agencies, Department of Energy, and foreign policy apparatus.

“Climate change threatens the basic foundations of society. It is the very definition of a whole-of-government problem, which means every single federal agency should apply its existing powers creatively and aggressively toward the problem,” said Revolving Door Project Research Director Max Moran. “Alone, these executive branch policies are wildly insufficient to the task of getting America to meet its climate goals. But all of these policies are necessary components of the puzzle, and represent the lowest-hanging fruit in terms of climate action.”

The report also highlights the urgent need to rebuild the federal civil service in order to expand state capacity to implement climate policies. The report shows how even minimal interventions under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other longstanding statutes yield enormous dividends for the nation in terms of lessened healthcare needs and longer lifespans.

“This report documents in detail an array of policy options the Executive Branch currently has at its disposal to combat the climate crisis,” said Aidan Smith, a Senior Advisor at Data for Progress who contributed to this report in a personal capacity. “Strong rulemaking in a number of issue areas, from efficiency standards to electrical generation, stands to help reduce emissions and contribute to the development of America’s clean energy sector.”