Climate Change Regulation Program

(Atmospheric Protection)

Environmental Protection Agency

Proposed Cut

$100M

% Reduction

100.0%

Action Type

elimination

Who Is Served

SmartWay transport program partners; greenhouse gas reporting entities

Summary

The Climate Change Regulation Program, known at EPA as the Atmospheric Protection Program, funds the agency's core climate work, including the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and the SmartWay freight-efficiency partnership. The FY2027 budget proposes eliminating this program entirely, cutting all $100 million (a 100% cut) and removing the federal requirement that large polluters report their greenhouse gas emissions.

Who Is Affected

Roughly 8,000 large industrial facilities and fuel suppliers that currently report emissions data to EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program would no longer have to do so, and the nearly 4,000 companies and organizations enrolled in the SmartWay freight-efficiency partnership would lose the EPA staff support, technical tools, and verification services that back the program. State air agencies, researchers, and the public who rely on EPA's published emissions data would also lose access to this information.

What this cut would actually mean

Without mandatory reporting, the U.S. would lose its main public dataset covering about 85-90% of national greenhouse gas emissions, making it much harder for regulators, investors, and independent researchers to track pollution trends from power plants, refineries, and factories. SmartWay partners would lose free EPA benchmarking tools that have helped the freight industry save billions in fuel costs, likely slowing efficiency improvements and making it harder for shippers to verify climate claims. Communities near industrial facilities would also lose an early-warning data source used to spot pollution spikes and hold polluters accountable.

Sources

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - FY2027 Budget — Official FY2027 budget document confirming the Atmospheric Protection Program elimination saves $100 million and details the EPA's 52% overall budget cut.
FY 2027 EPA Budget in Brief — EPA's own budget justification stating the agency proposes to end the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program to save businesses on regulatory costs.
Trump's 2027 budget proposes deep cuts to science programs - C&EN — News analysis confirming full elimination of the atmospheric-protection (formerly climate-protection) program in the FY2027 budget request.
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) - US EPA — EPA program page noting approximately 8,000 facilities are required to report emissions annually under the GHGRP.
GHGRP and the U.S. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks - US EPA — EPA data page stating GHGRP reporters cover approximately 85-90% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
SmartWay Program Successes - US EPA — EPA page noting nearly 4,000 companies and organizations participate in SmartWay and the program has saved billions in fuel costs.
Trump's Budget Proposes Massive Cuts for Climate and Environmental Programs - Inside Climate News — Reporting on the FY2027 budget's overall 52% cut to EPA and elimination of climate-related programs.