The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Endangerment Finding Repeal - Does it change the outlook for a cleaner economy?

The Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) repealed its 2009 Endangerment Finding, the scientific underpinning for government climate change regulations based on the conclusion that greenhouse gas emissions are harmful to public health and welfare. The repeal is expected to diminish future rulemaking on vehicle and power plant emissions while kicking off imminent litigation against the agency's anti-regulatory action.

I was a “clean air” lobbyist for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in 2000. ExxonMobil was our Environmental Committee Chair. Big oil dominated the business group’s advocacy, and therefore, their environmental public policy positions. In private, company executives, lobbyists, and scientists admitted the public health impacts of soot and smog and conceded human influences over the Earth’s climate through burning of fossil fuels. In public, any whiff of carbon limits or air pollution regulations spurred doom-and-gloom predictions of economic catastrophe if the United States attempted to act on ambient air quality or against climate change.

The mantra was “Regulating [insert pollutant here] would severely depress the U.S. economy, kill jobs, risk energy security, and hinder environmental improvements.”

Now 25 years later, the EPA is essentially killing any limits on vehicle tailpipes and factory smokestacks. Over the last two decades, public health consequences of air pollution have become even more dire to asthmatics, people with heart and lung diseases, and the general public. But, right on cue, may are lining up to assert economic calamity and job losses if more stringent environmental rules are adopted. The economic sky did not fall when I was lobbying in Washington, DC. It will not fall now if air, water, waste, and climate rules survive, regardless of who occupies the White House.

In fact, I am more confident than ever that economic success and environmental improvements go hand in hand. Today, I follow a greener path and work with companies of all sizes and sectors that realize that climate change holds greater impact on our economy than anything we’ve experienced before, and that they must adapt and transition to thrive in the future.

Despite cries of imminent economic devastation by some, the economy can actually be fueled by actions in Washington, DC, if done right. For example, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represented the largest-ever investment in fighting climate change by bolstering mitigation and adaptation, increasing energy security, and lowering energy costs. Cumulative investment estimates associated with the law were in the trillions of dollars, giving companies a boost to potentially benefit from the climate transition and new economy. As a result, jobs and infrastructure packages advanced clean vehicles, renewable electricity, green buildings, and sustainable infrastructure.

Dire economic predictions about climate policy remain behind the times. I hope that the EPA ruling does not completely halt the action that many states, businesses, and communities have achieved since the Endangerment Finding was announced in 2009.

ClimateWork Maine grew out of conversations with business leaders who agree that action is essential in climate mitigation and adaptation solutions, whether by investing in operations, producing clean and sustainable products, or supporting climate policies. ClimateWork Maine helps companies confront challenges and identify opportunities to grow their companies and workforce, market their products and services, and contribute to climate solutions.

Success will depend on the participation and action of real people in their homes and workplaces. By starting small in one small state, we are building a movement and a model that we believe will fit other states and perhaps the entire country one day.

I don't believe that the Endangerment Finding repeal will divert us from the path to cleaner energy and more sustainable practices. We are well equipped to identify challenges and capture opportunities to build a more sustainable economy and the jobs that it brings. The global market will continue to put climate action at the center of economic growth, affordability, and resilience.

According to today's AXIOS Future of Energy -" The energy transition is well underway and is unlikely to be reversed by today's historic move. Decades of state and federal policy, plus market shifts, have pushed the economy toward cleaner energy. So far, Trump's rollback isn't enough to turn it around."