Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States Using Existing Federal Authorities and State Action

The analysis indicates that while existing federal and state tools can achieve significant emissions reductions, they are insufficient to meet the U.S. Copenhagen pledge of a 17 percent reduction below 2005 levels by 2020, or the IPCC's mid-century targets to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. The report highlights the Clean Air Act and Department of Transportation fuel efficiency authority as key federal tools, noting that non-energy emissions reductions can be achieved without increasing energy prices. To reach a 2050 reduction goal of 80 to 95 percent, the report argues that Congress and states must augment existing regulatory tools.

• The United States is unlikely to meet its Copenhagen pledge to reduce emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 using only existing federal authorities and announced state actions, even under an ambitious 'go getters' scenario.
• Current federal and state plans are insufficient to align the United States with IPCC recommendations for preventing average global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius by mid-century.
• Key federal regulatory mechanisms for emissions reduction include the Department of Transportation's vehicle fuel efficiency authority and the Clean Air Act, specifically its New Source Performance Standard, mobile source provisions, and Title VI authority regarding hydrofluorocarbons.
• A significant amount of emissions reductions can be found in non-energy sectors, and these are expected to be achievable without causing energy prices to increase.
• To avoid the most severe effects of climate change, the U.S. may need to reduce emissions by 80 to 95 percent by 2050, which will require Congress and states to expand beyond current regulatory tools.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States Using Existing Federal Authorities and State Action. https://www.wri.org/research/reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-united-states-using-existing-federal-authorities-and

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States Using Existing Federal Authorities and State Action. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-united-states-using-existing-federal-authorities-and.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States Using Existing Federal Authorities and State Action |url=https://www.wri.org/research/reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-united-states-using-existing-federal-authorities-and |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendreducing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States Using Existing Federal Authorities and State Action}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-united-states-using-existing-federal-authorities-and}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }