Washington - In its first ruling on global warming, the US
Supreme Court on Monday said federal and state environmental agencies
have the right to introduce mandatory caps on greenhouse-gas
emissions, which had been disputed by the United States government.
The court's nine justices were split 5-4 along ideological lines
in the case, which pitted an alliance of 12 states, three cities,
businesses and environmental groups against an equally imposing
coalition of 10 states, nine automakers, utility companies and other
businesses.
The case revolved around whether the government's Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority, or even an obligation, to
set limits on greenhouse gas emissions, specifically on cars, based
on a 17-year-old law passed by Congress on air pollution.
The Supreme Court said that the 1990 Clean Air Act was
'unambiguous' in providing a definition of air pollution that could
include the harmful effects of carbon dioxide - blamed for global
warming - and therefore gives the government and states the authority
to take action to reduce vehicle emissions.
'The harms associated with climate change are serious and well-
recognized,' Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the court,
criticizing the EPA for offering a 'laundry list of reasons not to
regulate.'
But the court did not rule that the EPA had an obligation to
introduce mandatory limits on vehicle emissions, viewing that as a
policy decision at the discretion of the agency.
Congress has until now been unwilling to approve mandatory caps on
emissions, whether on cars or industry, while the EPA - under US
President George W Bush's administration - has argued it has no right
to introduce emissions limits. The White House said Monday it will
address the ruling.
'We questioned whether we did have the legal authority,'
spokeswoman Dana Perino said. 'Now the Supreme Court has settled that
matter for us, and we're going to have to take a look and analyze it
and see where we go from there.'
Environmental groups voiced hope that Monday's ruling would spur
Congress into action, while the ruling also allows states to go ahead
with their own mandatory caps on car emissions.
'This is likely to increase pressure on Congress to act quickly on
global warming,' Philip Clapp, president of the National
Environmental Trust, a plaintiff in the case, said in a statement.
'This is a landmark decision.'
US states - especially in the west and north-east - have taken the
lead in introducing mandatory caps on vehicle and industry emissions,
prompting many businesses to demand nationwide caps instead of a
patchwork of regulations in different states. The Bush administration
has until now favoured voluntary initiatives.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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