EPA Rescinds Motor Vehicle GHG Endangerment Finding, Repeals Federal Emissions Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on February 18, 2026, rescinding the agency’s 2009 greenhouse-gas (GHG) endangerment finding for motor vehicles and repealing federal GHG emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. The agency determined that Clean Air Act Section 202(a)(1) does not authorize regulation of greenhouse gases in response to global climate change concerns, citing statutory interpretation and the major questions doctrine.

The action withdraws EPA’s prior determination that GHG emissions from new motor vehicles endanger public health and welfare and eliminates model year–based GHG requirements applying to MY2012 and later vehicles. EPA stated that it is not issuing a new scientific endangerment determination and instead framed the rule as a legal reinterpretation of Clean Air Act authority.

With the rescission, EPA repeals regulatory provisions across multiple vehicle programs governing certification, compliance, and emissions performance. The agency indicated that future climate policy decisions should be addressed by Congress rather than through agency rulemaking. The final rule takes effect April 20, 2026.