US Bishops disappointed by Supreme Court's climate regulation ruling

By Francesca Merlo

The decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to limit, in a 6-3 vote, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its power to regulate greenhouse gases has been widely criticized. Adding their voice to those fighting to protect the planet, are the Catholic Bishops of the United States. In response to the Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued a statement expressing his and all the US Bishops' disappointment regarding the 30 June ruling. 

In the statement, dated 1 July, Archbishop Coakley writes that "the Catholic bishops of the United States have long-supported the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases in order to address climate change". He recalled a message written in 2018 in which the Bishops say that the EPA has ‘both the statutory authority and responsibility to take regulatory action (...). It is hard to foresee a scenario, under current economic and technological conditions, in which the EPA faithfully carries out its mandate to protect the public health from greenhouse gases without significantly affecting political and economic realities."

It is for this reason, continue the bishops, that we are, "disappointed today that following the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Clean Air Act the EPA will have significantly restricted authority to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants".

The statement concludes noting that "both reasonable regulation and legislation are critical for addressing the threat and challenges of climate change."