Court ruling gives Biden less power to cut emissions | NOW

The US Supreme Court has ruled that the government’s environmental agency cannot set limits on the amount of greenhouse gases that businesses and factories can emit. The move means President Joe Biden has limited powers to fight climate change.

Six of nine chief justices voted against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions limits. The main objective was to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by coal-fired power plants. Nearly 20% of electricity in the United States comes from coal-fired power plants.

Under current law, the EPA controls emissions from existing power plants. The judges believe that the EPA cannot determine these rules itself and must first obtain the approval of the parliament (Congress) before setting new limits.

The Biden administration is currently working on new “Clean Air” laws, which must be approved by Congress. The president wants the energy sector to stop emitting greenhouse gases by 2035.

The White House calls the decision “devastating” and believes the country is taking a step backwards. Biden says he remains committed to tackling the climate crisis within the powers he has.

The United Nations also calls it a setback. A UN spokesperson says the actions of a single country should not affect the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. Because “decisions like today’s make it more difficult to achieve objectives”.