Climate Policies in United States

United States

The global temperature has risen about 2° Fahrenheit since 1850. The effects of climate change can be observed today through rising sea levels, wildfires, droughts and extreme rainfall. 

According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, rising sea levels and temperatures threaten drinking water, human wastewater treatment and stormwater disposal, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. Wildfires negatively impact air quality, which can lead to health conditions such as asthma, acute bronchitis and pneumonia. Moreover, high temperatures are associated with heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyperthermia and dehydration, all of which can lead to severe illness or even death. Warmer temperatures also increase cases of vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile and Zika. Global warming is projected to continuously increase unless there is a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Populations that are disproportionately affected by health impacts of climate include pregnant women, children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, poor communities and communities of color. Black, Hispanic and Latino individuals in the U.S. face higher exposure to the harmful impacts of climate change due to where they live and work. Low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations are more likely to live in areas with the highest projected increases in premature mortality due to climate change. Similar disparities have occurred during past weather events caused or exacerbated by climate change: 

• After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, researchers found that lower-income neighborhoods were particularly vulnerable to flooding from natural disasters. 
• The 2017 wildfires in Sonoma County have had lasting effects on many vulnerable populations, including displacement, loss of employment and increased housing prices.

While individual behaviors play an important role in stopping or reversing climate change, the majority of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change have come from fossil fuel corporations. Technological advances play a prominent role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as new technologies can help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Such technologies include wind power, solar power or biofuels and water access improvement technologies. The Environmental Protection Agency plays a role in advancing evidence-based regulations and policy analysis.

While the U.S. has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, it is far behind target. However, the recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and other policy rollbacks have helped narrow the gap between current U.S. emission projections and the 2030 target. Several states have made efforts to reduce the impact of climate change by implementing cap-and-trade programs, promoting reliance on renewable energy sources for electricity and enacting clean vehicle policies. 

Climate policies must also consider emergency preparedness, given the pronounced impact that rising sea levels, wildfires, hurricanes and other climate-related disasters already have on communities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has implemented multiple initiatives as part of its strategic plan for improving health equity, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has published disaster planning toolkits and other resources for vulnerable populations and communities with limited access to resources.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives to promote healthier environments, including:

• Reducing the amount of toxic pollutants released into the environment.
• Reducing the number of days people are exposed to unhealthy air. 

The federal government continues to work with global partners to reach the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have introduced specific greenhouse gas emission targets, and 33 states have a plan in place or are currently updating their plan to meet climate-related goals.

EPA. “Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts.” Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 2021. https://www.epa.gov/cira/social-vulnerability-report.

Introcaso, David. “Climate Change Is The Greatest Threat To Human Health In History.” Health Affairs Forefront, December 19, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1377/forefront.20181218.278288.

Lieberman-Cribbin, Wil, Christina Gillezeau, Rebecca M. Schwartz, and Emanuela Taioli. “Unequal Social Vulnerability to Hurricane Sandy Flood Exposure.” Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 31, no. 5 (September 2021): 804–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-020-0230-6.

Masson-Delmotte, Valérie, Panmao Zhai, Anna Pirani, Sarah L. Connors, Clotilde Péan, Yang Chen, Leah Goldfarb, et al., eds. “Summary for Policymakers.” In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, 2021. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Implications of the California Wildfires for Health, Communities, and Preparedness: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.17226/25622.

USGCRP, Allison R. Crimmins, Christopher W. Avery, David R. Easterling, Kenneth E. Kunkel, Brooke C. Stewart, and Thomas K. Maycock. “Fifth National Climate Assessment.” U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2023. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.