Why Some Republicans Voted for More Carbon Emissions Tracking
As the Trump administration seeks to roll back pollution reporting rules, some lawmakers see a low carbon footprint as a competitive edge for US exports.
Four of the industries regulated by Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – steel, aluminum, cement and fertilizer – account for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2025 paper published by researchers at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergAs the Trump administration eliminates the collection of climate-related data across the federal government, Congress has directed one agency to study the carbon intensity of certain industrial products exported to the European Union.
Starting this year, the EU is requiring importers of industrial products such as steel, fertilizer and aluminum to pay a surcharge on the carbon emissions associated with their production. Under an appropriations bill signed by President Donald Trump last month, the US Department of Energy has been charged with assessing the carbon footprint of those sectors.