U.S. climate policy is transforming due to expansive new regulatory programs. Federal actions are reshaping, and in some cases dismantling, longstanding climate rules. Simultaneously, many states are advancing their own climate initiatives in areas like clean transportation, emissions reporting, and renewable energy deployment.
Lawyers, policymakers, environmental professionals, and students studying climate law must navigate overlapping regulatory priorities, litigation, and shifting authority. The workforce landscape for climate policy jobs reflects this complexity, with demand for expertise in administrative law, regulatory strategy, and state-level policy innovation on the rise.
Federal Climate Policy: Implementation, Repeals, and Legal Battles
In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. That “endangerment finding” served as the legal basis for regulating emissions under the Clean Air Act, including emissions standards for vehicles.
In early 2026, the EPA under the current administration finalized a rule eliminating that endangerment finding, and thus also eliminating the standards for new motor vehicles and engines that resulted from it. This action represents a significant departure from decades of regulatory practice and will almost certainly trigger extensive litigation in federal courts, including challenges from states.
Because the endangerment finding underpinned numerous climate protections, its repeal has far-reaching implications for federal climate policy. Environmental organizations have already filed lawsuits arguing that rescinding the scientific basis for climate regulation under the Clean Air Act undermines federal authority to regulate greenhouse gases at all.
Against this backdrop of deregulatory action at the federal level, other longstanding climate rules, such as EPA’s 2021-era vehicle greenhouse gas standards and broader emissions requirements, may face uncertainty or reversal as enforcement priorities shift.
State Leadership in Climate Action
Federal rollback of climate regulations has increased the importance of state-level policies. Many states and local jurisdictions are pursuing their own independent, ambitious clean energy and emissions goals. California, for example, is widely expected to continue shaping environmental policy in 2026 through its regulatory authority over vehicle emissions, energy systems, and industrial standards. States have also been experimenting with a range of climate policy tools, such as economy-wide carbon pricing and stricter building energy codes.
Given the federal government’s retreat from certain climate enforcement mechanisms, state actions are increasingly important for maintaining momentum on greenhouse gas reductions. State courts and attorney general offices are already preparing legal challenges to federal deregulatory moves, illustrating how state–federal dynamics will shape U.S. climate policy in 2026.
Transportation policy is an important facet of climate action, even amid federal deregulation. Before recent federal actions, the EPA had finalized stringent greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-duty vehicles covering model years 2023 through 2026. These rules were projected to yield net economic benefits and avoid billions of tons of emissions by mid-century.
However, the 2026 repeal of the endangerment finding effectively removes the legal basis for those federal emissions standards. States with waiver authority, like California, may continue to implement their own vehicle emissions programs.
The Evolving Role of Administrative Law
One of the defining features of climate policy today is the centrality of administrative law. Courts will play an outsized role in determining what climate regulations survive. Legal challenges to the elimination of the endangerment finding are already underway, and appellate courts may have to revisit foundational precedents.
For legal professionals and anyone involved in regulatory strategy, understanding procedural requirements, statutory interpretation, and judicial review standards is essential. Administrative law is now tightly interwoven with climate change governance, shaping how rules are drafted, defended, and implemented.
Despite regulatory upsets at the federal level, demand for climate policy expertise remains robust, particularly in roles involving compliance, regulatory design, litigation, and state policy development. Climate policy jobs are found in law firms, consulting practices, non-governmental organizations, and corporate sustainability teams. The shift toward state-driven initiatives further diversifies the opportunities available.
Lewis & Clark Environmental Law’s LLM program offers excellent preparation for these jobs and opportunities. With a nationally recognized focus on environmental and natural resources law, the program equips graduates to engage deeply with climate change and policy at the federal, state, and international levels.
Learn more and apply now.