Climate rule faces delays over allegations that it could leak intel to enemies - E&E News by POLITICO
Climate rule faces delays over allegations that it could leak intel to enemies - E&E News by POLITICO
Companies that do millions of dollars of business with the federal government may soon have to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) proposal, which is not yet final, is expected to apply to purveyors of nearly everything the government buys, from vaccines to air conditioners to war planes.
But efforts to finalize the rule may be running behind. Observers say a yearlong campaign by lawmakers to weaken it may have procurement officials rethinking key provisions just as the Biden administration is looking to wrap up work on its first-term regulatory agenda to prevent it from being easily rolled back under the Congressional Review Act.
Congressional Review Act
Two main criticisms have been lobbed at the climate disclosure proposal since it was released 15 months ago. One has sparked numerous House hearings and pushback, even from some Democratic lawmakers, and has to do with the draft rule’s reliance on international nonprofit organizations to vet the climate efforts of contractors. The other focuses on the assertion that U.S. adversaries could glean national security-related information from the disclosures of defense contractors.
numerous House hearings
some Democratic lawmakers
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”