Stronger evidence, weaker protections: planetary health consequences of rescinding the US Environmental Protection Agency endangerment finding

The US has arrived at a crucial juncture for public health and climate governance. On Feb 12, 2026, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rescinded its endangerment finding, which established that six greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten public health and welfare, thereby dismantling a central pillar for regulating GHG emissions. In doing so, the EPA cited regulatory cost concerns—grounds that are legally irrelevant under the Clean Air Act’s public health mandate—and invoked a scientifically discredited federal report to support a de minimis claim: that US GHG emissions produce harm too small to warrant federal regulation.