Sabin Center’s online tracking tool monitors government action on climate change – State of the Planet
Since 2017, the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law has been tracking government attempts to limit or expand science and climate measures. The first is the Climate Deregulation Tracker, which tracks climate-related regulatory actions during the first Trump administration, and the second is the Climate Reregulation Tracker, which tracks actions during the Biden administration.
Three publicly accessible online tracking tools will track the new administration’s actions on climate change. The Climate Backtracker, the third iteration of the Sabin Center’s Climate Regulation Tracker, will document the Trump administration’s actions affecting federal climate protections; the Inflation Reduction Act Tracker (maintained with the Environmental Defense Fund) will track actions through the Changes in the status of climate plans enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act; and the ShenMo Science Tracker (Maintained with the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund) Monitoring anti-science behavior.
“In the four years of Trump 1.0, the administration worked hard to repeal many of the climate regulations passed during the Obama years, but it took a lot of time and was often procedurally botched, leading to many reversals in the courts. Trump 2.0 is better prepared Adequately, more decisions are likely to be made soon, which could be dizzying for companies that need to comply, advocates who oppose or support these actions, and everyone who cares about the climate. Pay attention to these actions by the Trump administration so that everyone can see what is happening and respond as they see fit,” said Michael Gerrard, faculty director of the Sabin Center and professor at the Columbia Climate Institute.
The Sabine Center also redesigned and updated its climate regulation library. The database documents the history of federal efforts to combat climate change from the beginning of the Obama administration to the present. It includes summaries and links to relevant federal regulations, policy statements, agency guidance, and other materials organized by federal agencies. The Climate Regulation Repository serves as a resource for understanding the current status and history of federal climate action and the impacts of the Trump administration’s actions captured by the Climate Rewinder.
The Sabin Center and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) are relaunching the Inflation Reduction Act Tracker (IRA Tracker) with added functionality and analysis. The IRA Tracker is an interactive tool designed to help users understand the climate change-related provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). The website includes a database containing summaries of IRA provisions and an action tracker documenting actions taken by federal agencies to implement the IRA and will be used to document any attempts during the Trump administration to undermine or roll back the IRA program.
Finally, the Sabin Center and the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund (CSLDF) are relaunching their joint Silent Science Tracker to document any anti-science actions taken by the Trump administration. The tracker, first launched after the 2016 presidential election, tracks media reports of federal, state and local governments trying to “suppress science.” The Silent Science Tracker is a useful tool for understanding risks to critical scientific research at all levels of government.
For more information about the above, please contact Tiffany Challe, Communications Assistant ([email protected]); Romany Weber, Associate Director ([email protected]); or Olivia Guarna, Climate Justice Fellow ([email protected]) )
