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

This report by the World Resources Institute analyzes potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in the United States through 2030 based on existing federal authorities and announced state actions. It concludes that while ambitious use of these tools can lead to significant reductions, they are insufficient to meet the Copenhagen pledge or the IPCC's mid-century targets for limiting global temperature increases.

• The United States could achieve significant GHG emissions reductions if federal agencies and states aggressively pursue technically feasible reductions, though these would still fall short of President Obama's Copenhagen pledge to reduce emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.
• Current federal authorities and announced state plans are insufficient to meet the reduction pace suggested by the IPCC to prevent average global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius by mid-century.
• Key federal regulatory tools for achieving reductions include the Department of Transportation's vehicle fuel efficiency authority, the Clean Air Act's New Source Performance Standard and mobile source provisions, and Title VI of the Clean Air Act for reducing hydrofluorocarbons.
• A significant amount of emissions reductions can be achieved in non-energy sectors, and these are expected to be possible without increasing energy prices.
• To avoid the most severe effects of climate change, the U.S. may need to reduce emissions by approximately 80 to 95 percent by 2050, which will likely require the U.S. Congress and states to augment existing 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} }