Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the United States

The report assesses federal policies and programs aimed at meeting the U.S. target of a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 relative to 2005 levels. While policies like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, renewable energy tax credits, and vehicle standards are driving reductions, government projections indicate that additional actions are necessary to meet the target and sustain reductions after 2020. The report notes a lack of promising initiatives in Congress but suggests that federal agencies can utilize existing authority to implement further standards for power plants, appliances, and HFC consumption.

• The United States goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels is not currently supported by domestic law, though various federal, state, and local policies are contributing to reductions.
• Current federal policies driving emissions reductions include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), tax credits for renewable energy, and new standards for passenger cars and trucks.
• U.S. government projections indicate that current efforts are likely insufficient to meet the 2020 target or maintain reductions thereafter, and there are currently no promising initiatives in the U.S. Congress to address this gap.
• Further emissions reductions could be achieved through federal agency actions, specifically via standards for existing power plants, energy efficiency standards for equipment and appliances, and policies targeting HFC consumption.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the United States. https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-united-states

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the United States. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-united-states.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the United States |url=https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-united-states |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendgreenhouse, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the United States}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-united-states}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }