The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has issued a response to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) finalization of a rule rescinding its 2009 determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.
In a statement released on February 13, 2026, the AMS said it is “deeply concerned” by the repeal of the Endangerment Finding, which for more than a decade served as the legal foundation for federal regulation of greenhouse-gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The society stressed that removing the finding does not change the underlying science showing that human-caused climate change harms people, ecosystems and infrastructure.
The EPA announced on February 12 that it had finalized rescission of the finding and eliminated all related greenhouse-gas standards for cars and trucks. The agency said that without the Endangerment Finding, it lacks statutory authority under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from new motor vehicles. The rule also repeals future obligations for auto makers to measure, control or report vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions.
EPA described the move as “the single largest deregulatory action in US history,” estimating more than US$1.3tn in savings. It said that the change does not affect rules on traditional air pollutants and aligns its regulatory framework with what it called the best reading of the Clean Air Act.
The AMS, representing atmospheric and climate scientists, reiterated several core conclusions: that people are the primary cause of modern climate change, that harmful impacts are already occurring and expected to increase, and that the scientific evidence is “extensive, robust and thoroughly vetted.”
The group said decisions by public officials are most effective when based on the best available science, and emphasized that repeal of the Endangerment Finding “does not alter the central unambiguous scientific conclusion” that human-driven climate change threatens health and well-being.
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