Environmental Policies
#40Key Findings
Despite a history of ambitious environmental protections, the United States falls into the bottom ranks internationally (rank 40) with regard to environmental policies. Its score in this area has improved by 0.2 points relative to 2014.
The Trump administration was a disaster for environmental policy. The Republican president withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, canceled numerous environmental regulations, appointed industry figures to top environmental positions and drove many expert employees out of the Environmental Protection Agency, making it more difficult to enforce the regulations that remained.
Under the Biden administration, the U.S. has rejoined the Paris agreement. The new president has strengthened environmental protection measures, and improved climate policies. The government is again making large investments in green technologies and public transportation.
Biden has promised to double the funding provided to developing countries to help fight climate change by 2024. His administration canceled the federal permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, and imposed a moratorium on oil leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The Trump administration was a disaster for environmental policy. The Republican president withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, canceled numerous environmental regulations, appointed industry figures to top environmental positions and drove many expert employees out of the Environmental Protection Agency, making it more difficult to enforce the regulations that remained.
Under the Biden administration, the U.S. has rejoined the Paris agreement. The new president has strengthened environmental protection measures, and improved climate policies. The government is again making large investments in green technologies and public transportation.
Biden has promised to double the funding provided to developing countries to help fight climate change by 2024. His administration canceled the federal permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, and imposed a moratorium on oil leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Graph View
Graph View
How effectively does environmental policy in your country protect and preserve the sustainability of natural resources and environmental quality?
10
9
9
Environmental policy goals are ambitious and effectively implemented as well as monitored within and across most relevant policy sectors that account for the largest share of resource use and emissions.
8
7
6
7
6
Environmental policy goals are mainly ambitious and effectively implemented and are monitored within and across some of the relevant policy sectors that account for the largest share of resource use and emissions.
5
4
3
4
3
Environmental policy goals are neither particularly ambitious nor are they effectively implemented and coordinated across relevant policy sectors.
2
1
1
Environmental concerns have been largely abandoned.
The United States has had ambitious environmental programs since the early 1970s. By the 1990s, major enactments covered the entire range of significant environmental concerns. In some areas of environmental pollution, such as hazardous-waste management and new sources of air pollution, environmental controls have imposed excessive costs. The issue of climate change, however, requires the implementation of costly controls for the sake of benefits that will occur years or even decades in the future and that will affect the rest of the world as much as the United States itself.
The Trump administration proved to be a disaster for environmental policy. Trump embraced an extreme version of climate-change denial and withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. He sought to reverse actions taken by the Obama administration and he torpedoed ambitious environmental policy goals. Simultaneously, Trump appointed hardliner opponents of environmental regulation from industry to top environmental positions. Under his leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the cancellation of numerous Obama-era environmental regulations. The Trump administration also decimated the EPA’s staff of individuals with a research and expert background, leaving the agency less likely to enforce many regulations that remained on the books.
The Biden administration reversed key environmental decisions made during the Trump years. This means that the Biden administration has adapted environmental policies similar to those of the Obama administration. For instance, on the first day of the Biden presidency, the United States rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement. In early 2021, President Biden also signed many executive orders to undo Trump environmental policies while strengthening environmental protection measures and the fight against climate change. Large investments in green technologies and public transportation have also featured prominently in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Biden signed in November 2021.
Finally, regarding resource use and environmental protection issues, the Biden administration cancelled the federal permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline while imposing a moratorium on oil leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The Trump administration proved to be a disaster for environmental policy. Trump embraced an extreme version of climate-change denial and withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. He sought to reverse actions taken by the Obama administration and he torpedoed ambitious environmental policy goals. Simultaneously, Trump appointed hardliner opponents of environmental regulation from industry to top environmental positions. Under his leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the cancellation of numerous Obama-era environmental regulations. The Trump administration also decimated the EPA’s staff of individuals with a research and expert background, leaving the agency less likely to enforce many regulations that remained on the books.
The Biden administration reversed key environmental decisions made during the Trump years. This means that the Biden administration has adapted environmental policies similar to those of the Obama administration. For instance, on the first day of the Biden presidency, the United States rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement. In early 2021, President Biden also signed many executive orders to undo Trump environmental policies while strengthening environmental protection measures and the fight against climate change. Large investments in green technologies and public transportation have also featured prominently in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Biden signed in November 2021.
Finally, regarding resource use and environmental protection issues, the Biden administration cancelled the federal permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline while imposing a moratorium on oil leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Graph View
To what extent does the government actively contribute to the design and advancement of global environmental protection regimes?
10
9
9
The government actively contributes to international efforts to design and advance global environmental protection regimes. In most cases, it demonstrates commitment to existing regimes, contributes to their being advanced and has introduced appropriate reforms.
8
7
6
7
6
The government contributes to international efforts to strengthen global environmental protection regimes. It demonstrates commitment to existing regimes and occasionally contributes to their being advanced and/or has introduced some appropriate reforms.
5
4
3
4
3
The government demonstrates commitment to existing regimes, but does not contribute to their being advanced and has not introduced appropriate reforms.
2
1
1
The government does not contribute to international efforts to strengthen global environmental protection regimes.
From the late 1960s to the early 1990s, the United States exercised leadership on a wide range of international environmental issues. However, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases (GHGs) was a turning point, as the Clinton administration signed the protocol, committing the United States to a schedule of emission reductions, but later abandoned an evidently doomed effort to win Senate ratification. In 2001, the Bush administration formally withdrew the United States’ endorsement of the protocol.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump denied the reality of human-driven climate change and vowed to abandon costly policies designed to control greenhouse gases. As president, Trump withdrew the United States from the international climate-change regime and canceled U.S. contributions to support conversion to clean energy by low-income countries.
The advent of the Biden administration in early 2021 marked yet another reversal in the U.S. stance regarding global environmental protection. The Democratic president signaled the return of the United States to the international climate-change regime and the deployment of an approach to global climate change mitigation similar to the one prevalent during the Obama years. On the global stage, the Biden administration is committed to double by 2024 the funds allocated to developing countries to help them fight climate change.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump denied the reality of human-driven climate change and vowed to abandon costly policies designed to control greenhouse gases. As president, Trump withdrew the United States from the international climate-change regime and canceled U.S. contributions to support conversion to clean energy by low-income countries.
The advent of the Biden administration in early 2021 marked yet another reversal in the U.S. stance regarding global environmental protection. The Democratic president signaled the return of the United States to the international climate-change regime and the deployment of an approach to global climate change mitigation similar to the one prevalent during the Obama years. On the global stage, the Biden administration is committed to double by 2024 the funds allocated to developing countries to help them fight climate change.