Trump Administration Proposes Repealing Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rules

A decommissioned coal-fired power plant in River Rouge, Michigan, photographed in February 2022. Credit: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images/File.

On Friday, the Trump administration proposed repealing a regulation that required coal-fired power plants, industrial facilities, and oil refineries to report to the federal government their emissions that contribute to global warming.

The greenhouse gas reporting program has existed since 2010 and covered more than 8,000 facilities and suppliers in the United States, collecting data on climate pollution each year. The information collected was used to develop standards that reduce air pollution.

According to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the proposed steps are viewed as a way to ease regulatory burden. As of September 12, 2025, the changes have become the subject of political debate over the future of regulation.

“The greenhouse gas reporting program is nothing more than a bureaucratic draft that does not improve air quality.”

Environmental activists criticized the proposed steps as yet another way the Trump administration is giving polluters a “free pass” from accountability.

“Many polluters may be inclined to keep their climate emissions secret, but more than 15 years ago Congress required the EPA to collect and publish these data annually.”

The EPA said in a press release that after review it had determined the law does not require compelling fossil fuel producers and large industrial facilities to report their emissions under the Clean Air Act. Only certain oil and gas sector facilities, including pipelines, will remain obligated to submit data on emissions of gases such as methane, but submission may be deferred until 2034.

The data are also used by local communities to track harmful air pollution emitted by nearly all industrial sectors, as well as by the United Nations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change obligations.

Reaction and Next Steps

In response to regulators’ initiative, environmental groups emphasize the danger of reducing data transparency and the potential rise in emissions that could affect air quality and public health.

The changes also raise questions about the United States’ future climate commitments and the role of data in shaping policies to cut emissions and adapt to climate change.

Conclusion

Plans to revise greenhouse gas reporting reflect a balance between regulatory burden and data transparency. While easing regulatory pressure may seem economically justified, the available data remains a valuable tool for communities, scientists, and the government in the fight against air pollution and in planning actions in response to climate challenges.