Climate Change Continues to Dominate Rhetoric – But Bill Unlikely

Continuing a message from his January 2013 inaugural speech, on February 12, 2013 President Obama devoted a portion of his State of the Union address to climate change. He surprised many with his request that Congress enact “market-based” climate change legislation. Efforts to pass market-based cap and trade legislation failed in 2010, when the Democrats controlled both congressional houses and the White House. Alternatively, the president indicated that he would take executive action should Congress fail to act. His statement suggests that the administration will continue to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through administrative regulation.

This Sidley Update was republished by ILO in its Trade & Customs Newsletter.