U.S. Government Policymaking on Climate Change

The briefing analyzes the shift in U.S. climate policy from a focus on national cap-and-trade legislation toward regulatory agency actions, subnational initiatives, clean-tech funding, and international trade issues. It argues that while a national mandatory system is unlikely in the short term, climate action is diversifying across administrative, local, and trade-related channels.

• National mandatory cap-and-trade legislation is unlikely to be passed for at least two years, and potentially longer, due to political constraints in the House of Representatives and the 60-vote requirement in the Senate.
• Climate policy focus is shifting toward regulatory agencies, specifically the EPA and SEC, though their actions face potential delays from legal challenges that may eventually reach the Supreme Court.
• Subnational climate action is increasing through city, state, and regional efforts, such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors 'Climate Protection Agreement' and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the northeast.
• There is growing bi-partisan support for domestic R&D funding for clean technologies, including nuclear power, driven by concerns over U.S. international competitiveness, while support for international climate finance remains weak.
• The U.S. government is increasingly focusing on international trade and investment issues to improve market access for clean-tech exports and reduce barriers to the diffusion of climate-friendly goods.
• External shocks, such as the EU's integration of aviation into its Emissions Trading Scheme or the imposition of border adjustment measures, could potentially force a return to national cap-and-trade discussions in the U.S.

APA

Brewer, T. (2010). U.S. Government Policymaking on Climate Change. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/oies-cs-comment-tom-brewer-us-policymaking.pdf

Chicago

Brewer, Thomas. U.S. Government Policymaking on Climate Change. Climate Strategies, 2010. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/oies-cs-comment-tom-brewer-us-policymaking.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brewer |first1=Thomas |title=U.S. Government Policymaking on Climate Change |publisher=Climate Strategies |date=October 2010 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/oies-cs-comment-tom-brewer-us-policymaking.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brewer2010government, author = {Brewer, Thomas}, title = {{U.S. Government Policymaking on Climate Change}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2010}, month = oct, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/oies-cs-comment-tom-brewer-us-policymaking.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }