| Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis | |
 | |
 President Biden signs a series of Executive Orders amongst which was order 13990 shortly after his inauguration on January 20th, 2021. | |
| Type | Executive order |
|---|---|
| Number | 13990 |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Signed | January 20, 2021 (2021-01-20) |
| Federal Register details | |
| Federal Register document number | 2021-01765  |
| Publication date | January 20, 2021 |
| Summary | |
| Implements various environmental policies including the revocation of the permit for theKeystone Pipeline and temporarily prohibits drilling in the arctic refuge. | |
Executive Order 13990, officially titledProtecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis[1] is anexecutive order signed by PresidentJoe Biden on January 20, 2021, which implementsvarious environmental policies of his administration including revoking the permit for theKeystone XL Pipeline[2] and temporarily prohibiting drilling in thearctic refuge.[3] It was rescinded byDonald Trump within hours ofhis assuming office on January 20, 2025.[4]
Executive Order 13990 includes several provisions designed to reverse actions taken by the previous administration and recommit the United States to combating climate change. Key provisions of the order include:
The order was one of fifteen signed during the first day of the Biden administration.[11]
Climate activists likeRachel Cleetus andJonna Hamilton praised the order.[12]
Many politicians from theRepublican Party criticized the order.[13]
On February 11, 2022,Western Louisiana U.S. District Court JudgeJames D. Cain Jr. issued a preliminaryinjunction inLouisiana v. Biden (2022) in favor of the plaintiffs to block federal agency requirements to assess thesocial costs ofgreenhouse gas emissions in regulatory actions under the order.[14] On March 16, theU.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appealsstayed the decision following an appeal by theU.S. Justice Department,[15] and on May 26, theU.S. Supreme Court issued an order without comment or opposition dismissing an appeal filed by the plaintiffs tovacate the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision.[16][17][18]
On August 31, 2021,Eastern Missouri U.S. District Court JudgeAudrey G. Fleissig issued an order dismissing a request filed by the plaintiffs inMissouri v. Biden (2022) for a preliminary injunction to block federal agency requirements to assess the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions in regulatory actions under the order.[19] On September 3, the plaintiffs filed an appeal with theU.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.[20] Oral arguments were held on June 16, 2022.[21][22]
The full text ofExecutive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis at WikisourceUnited States and the United NationsClimate change policy in the United States
