After six years in office, Obama has given up trying to persuade lawmakers to support his climate change agenda, which at one time included a national cap-and-trade programme and renewable-energy standard. Now, he intends to regulate through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — part of the executive branch — and by issuing executive orders.
The cornerstone of Obama’s climate push is regulations that the EPA will issue this summer for existing power plants, which are responsible for 38% of total US heat-trapping CO2 emissions.