Trump's EPA eliminates climate endangerment finding and emission rules

On February 12, 2026, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, appearing alongside President Trump at the White House, announced a final rule eliminating the 2009 Obama-era Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emission standards for motor vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond. The rule also eliminates off-cycle credits, including incentives for the start-stop engine feature. EPA projects the rule will save over $1.3 trillion — including an average of over $2,400 per vehicle — by removing GHG measurement, reporting, certification, and compliance requirements. The rulemaking followed a 52-day public comment period that received approximately 572,000 comments and included four days of virtual public hearings with more than 600 testifying individuals. EPA grounded the action on statutory authority arguments under the Clean Air Act and major-questions-doctrine precedents established in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and West Virginia v. EPA.