Earth overshoot day is becoming more worrisome as each year passes. What is overshoot day about? Find out more about this term and what it implies.

Overshoot Day: What Does It Imply?

In 2024, overshoot day will occur on July 25th – roughly five months before the end of the year.

Overshoot Day is impossible to miss, as every year – the media announces this fateful date, and it draws closer each year. 

At this point, you may be wondering what Earth Overshoot Day, or EOD, is – essentially, Overshoot Day is an indicator and testimony to the pressure exerted by man on the planet. Of course, global warming is massively illustrated by the surplus of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released into the atmosphere – but it is also represented by the depletion of natural resources.

In this article, we'll explain what Overshoot Day is, the causes of this ecological deficit, and how we manage to finally push back this date.

Overshoot Day symbolizes the date on which humanity has consumed all the resources that the planet can regenerate in one year. Some examples associated with overshoot day include how in one year, humanity catches so many fish – that the fish species don't have time to reproduce. Another example is when we cut trees faster than they can grow. 

Therefore, Overshoot Day day perfectly demonstrates the pressure humans are putting on the  planet – and depicts how our way of life is far too greedy to be sustained by the natural resources we have available.

This year, Earth Overshoot Day falls on 1 August. It means we’ve already used a whole planet’s worth of resources this year. We are over overfishing, over harvesting, over consuming and over polluting more than our planet can sustain.

We can all make a difference to move the date for Earth Overshoot Day and create a sustainable future.

Find out what your ecological footprint is and how you can reduce it today. http://www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/ch...

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What is Earth Overshoot Day? 🌏☄️ | WWF-Australia

On Overshoot Day, humanity is merely living off of credit – virtually the same way someone uses a credit card without having sufficient funds in their bank account. The same goes for humans on Overshoot Day: using resources that are otherwise unavailable. 

This can beg the question – have we ever noticed a net decrease of our ecosystems? Truthfully, the depletion of resources has been noticeable since the industrial revolution that took place in the 19th century, but has dramatically worsened over the last 50 year. Essentially, if we didn't over consume the planet's resources, the Overshoot Day wouldn't even exist – the same way that if people didn't spend money they didn't have, no one would ever go into debt.

👉 Overshoot Day will continue to prove prominent and relevant, as the forecasts are far from good – seeing as by 2050, humanity  will "require" twice as many natural resources to meet its needs in comparison to 2020. The availability of these resources by then is looking more sparse by the day. 

Every year, the American NGO Global Footprint Network uses more than 3 million pieces of statistical data, spanning around 200 countries, to calculate Overshoot Day. After this is done, Overshoot Day can then be calculated by dividing Earth's biocapacity by the average ecological footprint created – and then by multiplying this result by 365, or how many days are in a year. 

The main goal of Overshoot Day is to raise awareness regarding the limited availability and regeneration of our natural resources, and to encourage humanity to measure the impact of its consumption on our ecosystems.

In case that didn't make sense, let's break it down further:

Calculating Overshoot Day isn't all that complicated. In fact, all that is needed to calculate Overshoot Day is to divide humanity's ecological footprint, or their annual consumption of ecological resources, by the planet's biocapacity – or the amount of resources that can be regenerated, as well as the amount of waste that can be absorbed in a year. 

💡 Please note: both of these figures are expressed in global hectares and are calculated based on the National Footprint Accounts.

Using all this data, the American NGO also estimated the number of planets that would be needed to compensate for our excessive consumption of resources – and they found out in 2022 that we would need 1.75 Earths to meet our current level of consumption. This is equivalent to 74% more resources than what our ecosystems currently provide.

What's causing Overshoot Day to be so early?

There are several reasons why Overshoot Day continues to arrive earlier every year, such as increased greenhouse gas emissions created by human activity, more intensive agricultural practices, excess fishing, and deforestation.

As humans continue to engage in excessive and carbon intensive activities, Overshoot Day is likely to continue arriving closer and closer each year.

Here are some of the reasons why Overshoot Day arrives earlier each year:

Intensive Agriculture and Fishing Practices

Half of the Earth's biocapacity is used to feed us, and therefore – as our global human population continues to skyrocket, these resources will become even more sparse. In fact, according to the United Nations by 2100, there could be 11.2 billion people living on Earth – proving how we need to curate more sustainable patterns today.

Intensive agriculture and fishing practices contribute to:

Using too many resources, such as animals, but also natural resources – since agriculture consumes 70% of drinking water worldwide;

Contributes to deforestation, soil destruction, biodiversity depletion, marine ecosystem imbalance and atmospheric pollution.

💡 Lastly, these two modes of production lead to the depletion of biological resources. Therefore, over exploitation must give way to sustainable agriculture and fishing that is more respectful of the environment.

Ultimately, the WWF suggests slashing meat consumption in half, to push back the excessive fishing by 17 days, and to decrease global food waste by 50% worldwide to help push back this same date by 13 days.

The loss of global forest biocapacity has a direct impact on global  warming. By cutting down trees, humanity is robbing the planet of its natural carbon sinks. 

Remember, while trees absorb a portion of CO2 throughout their lifetime – once they've been cut down, they release all of the carbon dioxide emissions they've accumulated directly into the atmosphere. This further compromises our already questionable air quality and further impacts our already existing air pollution crisis.

Furthermore, deforestation impacts biodiversity, reduces the supply of food and raw materials, prevents the regulation of the water cycle, impacts our quality of life, and more.

💡 Did you know that every year, 100,000 km² of forest are destroyed, threatening millions of animal and plant species? 

Ultimately, forest conservation must be a priority. That's why WWF wants to reforest 350 million hectares of forests to help postpone Overshoot Day by eight days.

We generate more emissions than the earth's natural carbon sinks are able to absorb in a year. These natural carbon sinks mostly consist of forests and oceans. 

As a result, according to "Earth Overshoot Day," the carbon footprint for Overshoot Day in 2023 represented 61% of humanity's ecological footprint.

Evidently, since the industrial revolution – our GHG emissions have been steadily piling up in the atmosphere. Unsurprisingly, human activities, such as the extraction, burning and use of fossil fuels, emit a large portion of these greenhouse gases. 

In 2021, CO2 emissions reached 36.4 billion tons.

In 2023, CO2 emissions reached 37.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions – an all time high for the planet.

Beyond accelerating global warming, the industry also participates in the depletion of natural resources. For example, fossil fuel reserves are melting away. 

‍💡 In order to rectify the amount of emissions contributing to Overshoot Day, the WWF recommends reducing humanity's carbon footprint by 50% to push back Overshoot Day by 93 days – equivalent to three months.

The best way to postpone Overshoot Day is to reduce the consumption of natural resources involves slowing down our current economic model. Therefore, we need to transition from the use of an unsustainable model of over consumption to a sustainable model – which is a circular economy.

Essentially, the best way to ensure Overshoot Day is postponed every year would be to encourage our society to make do with less – and to vouch for the infamous saying, "less is more" – as in terms of Overshoot Day, it is!

Postponing Overshoot Day is possible by protecting the environment while ensuring the well-being of individuals relies on sustainable production, reasoned consumption and efficient waste management. 

This may seem like an overwhelming agenda, but there are several ways to approach delaying Overshoot Day, such as by:

Eco-designing products by taking into account the life cycle of the product or service to determine both their environmental and social impact;

Limiting food and resource waste – seeing as every year, one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption around 1.3  billion tons of food per year, is wasted;

Extending the life of objects (reuse, repair, belly up, rent and buy second-hand), in order to reduce the extraction of natural resources and, by extension, the extraction of resources – which is a polluting process. This can also be known as upcycling;

If an item is beyond repair but doesn't need to be thrown away, remain mind of recycling waste.

The ocean absorbs 30% of our carbon emissions, making it the most important carbon sink in the world – but it is obviously not the only one. 

Several actions can be taken to safeguard our natural carbon sinks:

Preserve existing carbon sinks and create artificial sinks through new technologies;

Restore forests that have been over exploited (those converted to cattle ranching, for example);

Reforesting tropical forests (which capture more CO2 and act as a barrier to floods  and hurricanes in coastal urban areas in the tropics and sub-tropics);

Fighting ocean acidification through sustainable fishing.

With a goal in mind to limit global temperature from exceeding 2°C by the end of  the century and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 – decarbonizing  the economy seems inevitable, but there are approachable ways for all of us to successfully work towards this goal. 

For instance, switching to the use of renewable energies is one of the best ways to limit rising worldwide temperatures. This is one of the objectives set by the United Nations. Thus, the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix should be increased by 2030.  

👉 In addition to this, we must do without fossil fuels, especially in our production processes – as this remains one of the most detrimental components to Overshoot Day and global warming as a whole.

Overall, Overshoot Day is a reminder of how we are treating the planet – and it still isn't too late to turn it all around. We can all make a difference, whether in our daily lives or as a cog in the machine of a big company, to delay Overshoot Day and protect our planet from the negative effects of global warming.

If reading this article about Overshoot Day has made you interested in reducing your carbon emissions to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!

At Greenly we can help you to assess your company’s carbon footprint, and then give you the tools you need to cut down on emissions. We offer a free demo for you to better understand our platform and all that it has to offer – including assistance with boosting supplier engagement, personalized assistance, and new ways to involve your employees.

Click here to learn more about Greenly and how we can help you reduce your carbon footprint. 

The iPhone 14 will be released on September 16. But do you know the exact carbon footprint of an iPhone?

What is the Carbon Footprint of the iPhone?

<p id="">On September 16, the iPhone 14, the newest model of the iconic Apple range – will be released. An umpteenth version of a smartphone that is now part of our daily lives… To the point of forgetting that this small device in our pockets and bags also emits CO2.</p><p id="">What exactly is the iPhone’s carbon footprint? With the release of the new Apple’s smartphone, we decided to focus on its environmental impact. </p><p id="">‍</p><figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width=""><div id=""><img src="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6232f79b68d15d3d9b69c096/631f4d551a9d3252ea0ff490_empreinte-carbone-iphone.jpg" loading="lazy" id="" width="auto" height="auto"></div></figure><p id="">‍</p><h2 id="">What is the carbon footprint of an iPhone?</h2><blockquote id="">According to the Product Environmental Report published by Apple in September 2021, <strong id="">an iPhone emits a total of 64kg CO2e</strong>.</blockquote><p id="">It is important to note that this figure was specifically calculated for a model of iPhone 13, with a storage capacity of 128 GB. </p><p id="">This total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was also estimated using the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) method. Concretely, this means that the total amount of emissions announced in this report normally includes all the emissions generated by an iPhone, throughout its life cycle (from the extraction of raw materials to destruction).</p><p id="">To compare, the carbon footprint of an iPhone 12 with the same storage capacity (128 GB) was 72kg CO2e.</p><blockquote id="">👉 To learn more about the Life Cycle Analysis of a product, do not hesitate to <a href="https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/company-guide/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lca-life-cycle-analysis-in-2022" id="">read our article</a>.</blockquote><p id="">‍</p><h2 id="">Where do iPhone’s CO2 emissions come from?</h2><p id="">According to the report published by Apple:</p><ul id=""><li id="">81% of emissions would be related to production (extraction, production and transport of raw materials, but also manufacture, transport and assembly, plus packaging);</li></ul><ul id=""><li id="">16% of emissions would be usage-related (energy use is simulated in a variety of ways, for example, by modeling daily battery charging or the use of video or music applications);</li></ul><ul id=""><li id="">2% of emissions would be related to the transportation of the final product (air and marine, from the manufacturing site to regional distribution platforms);</li></ul><ul id=""><li id="">Less than 1% of emissions would be related to the “end-of-life” of the product (transportation from collection points to recycling sites, and the energy needed to separate and shred elements).</li></ul><p id="">‍</p><blockquote id="">💬 These calculations are made knowing that the estimated the duration of use for an iPhone is around 3 to 4 years (in accordance with the user data collected by the brand on similar products). In addition, the transport of products from distribution points to final customers was modeled using average distances. Finally, local differences in the mix feeding of power grids must be considered.</blockquote><blockquote id="">👉 For more details on the iPhone 13 “Product Environmental Report”, you can find it on Apple’s website by <a href="https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/iphone/iPhone_13_PER_Sept2021.pdf" id="">clicking here</a>.</blockquote><p id="">‍</p><h2 id="">Why is the carbon footprint announced in the iPhone 13 “Product Environmental Report” underestimated?</h2><p id="">Considering the 64kg of CO2e announced by Apple, only 10kg would come from smartphone’s usage – more specifically, from charging the terminal. </p><p id="">An obvious question arises: what about the use of mobile data? </p><p id="">The Greenly experts investigated: given the data on the emissions induced by the 4G network in France, while considering an average mobile data consumption of 45 GB each month, <strong id="">50kg of CO2 would need to be added to the figures published in the Apple’s study</strong>. 👀</p><blockquote id="">Contrary to the estimates provided by the brand, <strong id="">the carbon emissions related to the use phase of an iPhone would amount to 60kg of CO2e</strong>.</blockquote><p id="">Besides, the colossal carbon footprint of data centers (physical infrastructures allowing to store and share data) should also be considered in this calculation, as they are terribly energy-intensive – because of their electricity consumption or need for air conditioning, for example.</p><p id="">Hosted internally, Apple’s iCloud service claims to be 67% carbon neutral. However, it should be noted that this estimate only takes into account scopes 1 and 2. While scope 3 is an essential variable in the calculation of the carbon footprint of any entity.</p><p id="">‍</p><figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div id=""><img src="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6232f79b68d15d3d9b69c096/631f4d010b74027b5ab6eff1_iphone.jpg" loading="lazy" id="" width="auto" height="auto"></div></figure><p id="">‍</p><h2 id="">What is the carbon footprint of data stream?</h2><p id="">What about all the mobile data that we stream 24/7? <a href="https://t.sidekickopen01.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8c7YpqVRv9Zw59hl3kW7_k2841CXdp3VP1dqC2S0VpZW2bzNMH8H1z0h101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4mKLS-3ZWVWBW3K2-zv1JxwY5W1Lw3rh45LM6yW1LxLBV3K77BcF1GzP7WmLtP1&si=8000000005495252&pi=327ca282-180c-4621-bbc6-bb329182ee71" target="_blank" id="">Greenly</a>'s data science team computed the real weight of that data consumption</p><ul id=""><li id="">Over the course of the iPhone lifespan (3-4 years according to Apple), network use accounts for 2.16TB of mobile data. </li><li id="">Applying standard network emission factors, the electricity consumption of 4G or 5G networks is equal to 512 kWh of electricity.</li><li id="">In the US, 1 kWh of electricity represents 427g of CO2e on average. in France, 1 kWh represents 60g of CO2 per kWH because the energy is less carbon intensive.</li><li id="">So 512 kWH represents 220 kg of CO2e in the US, and roughly 50 kg of CO2 in France.</li><li id="">To this total, we would need to add 32.4 KG of CO2e related to the amortization of the mobile network for this amount of data.</li></ul><p id="">‍</p><h2 id="">What about the iPhone 14? </h2><p id="">This week, <a href="https://t.sidekickopen01.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8c7YpqVRv9Zw59hl3kW7_k2841CXdp3VP1dqC2S0VpZW2bzNMH8H1z0h101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4mKLS-3ZWVWBW3K2-zv1JxwY5W1Lw3rh45LM6yF1LvdzRmLcq1&si=8000000005495252&pi=327ca282-180c-4621-bbc6-bb329182ee71" target="_blank" id="">Apple</a> launched its new iPhone 14. </p><blockquote id="">💡 With 90M units hitting the market this year - at an average footprint of 61kg of CO2e per iPhone, the projected total footprint of the launch is 5,5 MT of CO2.</blockquote><p id="">Here is the carbon weight of each step of the phone's existence:</p><ul id=""><li id="">Components Sourcing &amp; Manufacturing: 79%</li><li id="">Shipping: 2%</li><li id="">Usage: 18%</li><li id="">End of Life: &lt;1%</li></ul><p id="">‍</p><p id="">According to the <a href="https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/iphone/iPhone_14_PER_Sept2022.pdf" id="">new Apple’s Product Environmental Report</a>, using the iPhone makes up 18% of the total footprint over the product's life cycle (3-4 years). &nbsp;</p><blockquote id="">🧐 But is Apple's carbon footprint estimation correct? </blockquote><p id="">The answer is 'no'. <a href="https://t.sidekickopen01.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8c7YpqVRv9Zw59hl3kW7_k2841CXdp3VP1dqC2S0VpZW2bzNMH8H1z0h101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4mKLS-3ZWVWBW3K2-zv1JxwY5W1Lw3rh45LM6yW1LxLBV3K77BcF1GzP7WmLtP1&si=8000000005495252&pi=327ca282-180c-4621-bbc6-bb329182ee71" target="_blank" id="">Greenly</a> experts estimate that Apple is missing 80% of the iPhone's total climate impact. &nbsp;</p><blockquote id="">👉 Indeed, regarding the figures that should be considered on data stream, the real total footprint of the iPhone 14 should be 313kg over 4 years.</blockquote><p>However, it is important to underline that iPhone's carbon footprint is still decreasing.</p><p id=""><a href="https://t.sidekickopen01.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8c7YpqVRv9Zw59hl3kW7_k2841CXdp3VP1dqC2S0VpZW2bzNMH8H1z0h101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4mKLS-3ZWVWBW3K2-zv1JxwY5W1Lw3rh45LM6yF1LvdzRmLcq1&si=8000000005495252&pi=327ca282-180c-4621-bbc6-bb329182ee71" target="_blank" id=""><strong>Apple</strong></a><strong> is doing a much better job than most smartphone companies in disclosing its footprint.</strong> But if the most admired company in the world wants to set the exemple, it needs to go all the way and report its full indirect emissions (not just upstream, but also downstream emissions).</p><p>‍</p><h2 id="">3 tips to reduce the carbon footprint of your iPhone </h2><h3 id="">1. Using your iPhone responsibly</h3><p id="">One figure? On average, each French person stores between 10,000 and 50,000 emails. However, this data is not stored in a vacuum: it is stored in data centers, which generate 0.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p id="">The right thing to do? Regularly sort your mailbox, keeping only the messages that are truly worth archiving.</p><p id="">If you want to significtly reduce the footprint created by your iPhone, <strong id="">try watching videos in moderate quality (480p) while using Wi-Fi, instead of streaming HD (1080p) on your 4G data</strong>.</p><p id="">‍</p><h3 id="">2. Get your iPhone fixed instead of discarded</h3><p id="">Unfortunately, we tend to believe that a smartphone should be changed at the slightest harm. </p><p id="">But it is not true.</p><p id="">Battery problem? Cracked screen? Change of camera? So many problems that can be handled thanks to repair shops. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of a professional!</p><p id="">Also, if you think you have the tools for this type of repair, you can also try to do it yourself. Many guides and tutorials are available. 💡</p><p id="">‍</p><h3 id="">3. Buy a refurbished iPhone</h3><p id="">If you want to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of our digital society, <strong id="">favoring the purchase of a </strong><a href="https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/ecology-news/what-is-the-carbon-footprint-of-a-refurbished-phone" id=""><strong id="">refurbished phone</strong></a><strong id=""> is the best thing to do</strong>.</p><p id="">In addition to fighting global warming, you will save a significant amount of money – a refurbished smartphone costs on average 30 to 50% less than a new model.</p><blockquote id="">Be careful not to confuse a refurbished phone with a used phone. ⚠️ Unlike the latter, the refurbished phone is used, but it has been checked, repaired if necessary, and has had its memory erased. For this reason, it is 5 to 20% more expensive than a used phone, as it did not undergo a complete revision. </blockquote><p id="">‍</p><p id="">‍</p><p id=""><strong

The Supreme Court has been exceptionally decisive in the United States as of late. Why did the supreme court in the U.S. block the EPA?

United States: Why did the Supreme Court block the EPA?Why did the Supreme Court block the EPA?

The Supreme Court of the United States hasn’t been pleasing too many people lately.

The supreme court has been making a plethora of life-altering choices that are paving a different future than many Americans or other residents of the United States haven’t envisioned becoming a reality.

The most recent and jarring choice by the supreme court was their decision to block the EPA from the previous, autonomous capability they had to implement new environmental regulations without the necessary consent or approval from the supreme court.

So, why did the supreme court stifle the EPA?

The EPA, otherwise known as the United States Environmental Protection Agency – strives to safeguard and preserve the overall safety and health for both humans and the environment.

👉 The EPA is dedicated to providing Americans with clean air, land, and water.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency also aims to implement a collective, nation-wide strategy to lower any environmental risks posed by scientific evidence.

They strive to protect the health of humans and both the environment by monitoring economic growth, energy reserves, transportation methods and their impact on global warming, the preservation of natural resources, and how agriculture, intense industrialization, and international trade all impact environmental policy.

The EPA doesn’t include any social sector of the United States, as the EPA is dedicated to providing all communities, individuals, businesses, and state or local governments with the information necessary to assess the impact they may have on the environment.

NOTE: If you need captions, please click the CC button on the player to turn them on.

A look at the makeup of the agency and how EPA performs its mission of protecting human health and the environment.

For more about EPA: http://www.epa.gov/
We accept comments according to our comment policy: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/comment-policy/

EPA Onboarding: How EPA works

How does the Supreme Court in the U.S. work?

Why is the Supreme Court in the United States so powerful? 

The supreme court is the most imperative authority for any case or controversy in the United States.

Justices of the supreme court act as the final decision makers of the law in question, whilst still aiming to pertain to the American value of promoting equal justice under the law. 

The Supreme Court of the United States serves as the gate-keeper in regards to how revisited cases are evaluated and decided. Justices of the supreme court listen to testimonies, typically for no longer than thirty minutes, live in court  – and make decisions on undetermined cases. 

The first supreme court took place in 1790, after the succession of the Judiciary Act by the congress in 1789 – and ever  since, the Supreme Court of the United States has remained a pivotal  part of the U.S. government in law decision making.

Think of the Supreme Court of the United States back to when you were a teenager, and you needed to present your parents with a persuasive case  as to why your curfew should be extended.

The supreme court works in an extremely similar fashion, and no matter how compelling the points are – the decisions of the supreme court are ultimately up to the justices even if their point of views aren’t the most popular amongst the rest of the country.

What was the ruling in West Virginia vs EPA by the U.S. Supreme Court?

The supreme court decided to rule in contrary to the favor of the EPA, by limiting their ability to make individual caps on emissions from various sources without the consent of the supreme court. 

Now, congress is the sole interpreter of all environmental decisions, even if the EPA holds the capability to successfully and safely implement their desired environmental choices to prevent climate change alone without approval from the supreme court. 

Think of it like when people use the phrase, “I had to jump through so many hoops” – in other words, the EPA has to go through superfluous steps to employ any  concrete environmental action from here on out. 

‍👉 The choice of the Supreme Court of the United States is bound to cause  problems for any new environmental regulations that the EPA attempts to establish. 

The decision of the supreme court will  most likely not only negatively impact the EPA, but also other  environmental agencies in the future – even if their actions are nothing  but beneficial to the fight against climate change. 

Prof. Dan Farber, Sho Sato Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment, breaks down the key holdings and impact of the Supreme Court's biggest environmental law decision in over 15 years.

West Virginia v EPA explained

Why did the Supreme Court of the U.S. revisit this case regarding the EPA?

The supreme court revisited the West Virginia vs. EPA because the initial power of the United States Environmental Protection Agency was in question. In other words, various authorities second-guessed if the EPA should have been able to dictate as many regulations on their own as they were previously able to.

The Clean Power Plan of 2015 provoked this re-consideration. 

The 2015 Clean Power Plan aimed to alter the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and made it compulsory for each state to create a plan to reduce their state-wide carbon emissions, and send it to the federal government for approval.

The Clean Power Plan of 2015 directly influenced the supreme court’s recent ruling in the West Virginia vs. EPA case. 

This previous environmental plan swayed the supreme court to vote against in favor of the EPA as it would have left the  responsibility to reduce carbon emissions up to each individual state since they were not required to report to the federal government under  the 2015 Clean Power Plan.

👉 Although the Clean Power Plan in 2015 was never approved, the supreme court still abrasively blocked the  plan – and was left untouched by the Trump administration.

With the supreme court’s new ruling in regards to the liberty of the EPA, they have made it conspicuous that they are not in favor of Obama’s previous approach to climate regulation

What was Obama’s approach to regulating climate change? 

Barack Obama had a more free-spirited approach to environmental regulation.

Despite that Obama chose a plan designed like the antithesis of the supreme court’s ultimate decision, energy companies appreciated the free-market approach established by the Obama administration.

With the Obama administration, power companies had full autonomy to decide how, when, where, and why they could decrease their carbon emissions.  The Obama administration provided each state with a recommended  guideline for their carbon emission reducing-goals, but each state ultimately had the ability to establish how they would decrease their emissions on their own account. 

Think of it this way: imagine you just got your learner’s permit to learn how to drive.

In most states, there are strict rules about which hours of the day you can drive, and you often need someone at least 21-years-old with a driver’s license of their own to accompany you. Therefore, it’s increasingly difficult to practice for your upcoming driver’s test without the accompaniment and willingness of someone else to drive with  you.

Of course, your driving progress could be made  much quicker if you didn’t need someone to drive with you, but it’s not possible to reach your goals without this prerequisite. 

The decision of the supreme court affects the timeline in which the EPA can achieve their future goals in the same manner.

Former President of the United States of America Barack Obama addresses delegates at the UN Climate Change conference #COP26 in Glasgow. 

UN Climate Change on Twitter: twitter.com/UNFCCC
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The UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom is a crucial opportunity to achieve pivotal, transformational change in global climate policy and action. It is a credibility test for global efforts to address climate change and it is where Parties must make considerable progress to reach consensus on issues they have been discussing for several years. COP 26 comes against the background of widespread, rapid and intensifying climate change impacts, which are already impacting every region on Earth. Also, COP 26 comes against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the urgent need to build back better for present future generations to ensure a safe future.

The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. UNFCCC stands for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Convention has near universal membership (197 Parties) and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global average temperature rise this century as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The UNFCCC is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The ultimate objective of all three agreements under the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development.


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Why did the supreme court ultimately decide against free-will for the EPA?

The states of the U.S. fought for the ideal that the EPA shouldn’t have the power to implement industry-wide regulations, and  that they should only be able to monitor and adjust individual power plants. 

In short, America’s “justice and liberty for all” ideal got the best of a bigger picture the EPA could have otherwise painted: a cleaner, healthier planet for us to live on. 

Also, the supreme court claimed that the EPA was trying to implement previously overturned rules that would have negatively impacted the economy. In other words, the supreme court delineated their beliefs that EPA was, “out of line” and attempting to abuse the power that was given to them.

How does the Biden administration feel about the Supreme Court’s ruling?

The Biden administration shouldn’t thrilled about the choice made by the supreme court either. Biden’s team believes that taking the Clean Power Plan into consideration regarding the EPA’s autonomy was trivial as the plan was never approved in the first place. 

When Biden was elected, he was exceptionally motivated to course-correct the previous, arguably more lackadaisical climate plan set in place by the previous administration. 

Biden was motivated to use a unified governmental approach to mitigate climate change, but now that the supreme court has spoken – Biden’s environmental plans just got a whole lot harder to set in motion.

After the ruling of the supreme court, the EPA is now required to report their climate action plans to the congress before  executing them. The EPA will still have the ability to take certain precautionary measures to adjust carbon emissions, such as demanding the need for improved technologies at power plants.

However, engaging and establishing environmental regulations for larger projects, such as requesting a threshold on carbon emissions or to demand a company decrease their use of coal or other fossil fuels –  won’t be as easy for the EPA to do without the approval of the supreme court first.

Why is this Supreme Court ruling potentially bad for the environment?

Will the decision made by the Supreme Court of the United States ultimately hinder the progress the EPA was making in the fight  against climate change?

Since the EPA can no longer establish future environmental rules with ease, it makes the goals of the United States Environmental Agency much harder  to achieve. The EPA is going to be limited in what they can or can’t do. Even if something they are trying to do will only do the globe good, the supreme court or other governmental authorities will have the right to restrict the EPA from moving forward with their desired carbon-reducing plans or actions.  

The choice made by the supreme court will continue to allow federal governments to influence  individual states to reduce their own carbon emissions, but establishing imperative environmental regulations won’t be easy. As the congress of the United States grows to be infamously incapable of assisting other governmental sectors, this case also places newfound pressure on the  federal government to deliver and keep climate change promises. The inability for various agencies or sectors to establish their own environmental policies immediately without the approval of the supreme court or congress will make it increasingly difficult to fight global warming, which is a worldly predicament that requires continuous, instantaneous action.

By limiting the EPA’s authority to make environmental changes without the necessary consent of the supreme court, any potentially  beneficial environmental regulation will inevitably take much, much longer to be approved.

Creating the lasting change that is compulsory and needs to be done in a ferocious, timely manner as global warming only continues to grow in severity.

Ultimately, the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in West Virginia vs. EPA will only make achieving net-zero carbon emissions or the process to mitigate climate change even more difficult. 

If reading this article about the supreme court in the U.S  blocking the EPA has made you interested in reducing your carbon  emission to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!

Greenly can help you make an environmental change for the better, starting with a carbon footprint assessment to know how much carbon emissions your  company produces.

Click here to learn more about Greenly and how we can help you reduce your carbon footprint. 

After seeking opportunities to put her various creative passions to good use, she joined Greenly in mid 2022 as SEO copywriter for the U.S. blog to provide her American perspective on the climate change issues we face today.

Stephanie Safdie - Greenly

Stephanie Safdie holds a bachelor's degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Maryland College Park, where she specialized in multimedia studies and media literacy to write engaging content made for the internet. She previously worked as a social media content video creator, freelance copywriter, and continues to write SEO generated content for her travel website. After seeking opportunities to put her various creative passions to good use, she joined Greenly in mid 2022 as SEO copywriter for the U.S. blog to provide her American perspective on the climate change issues we face today. Her work at Greenly covers a wide variety of topics, such as the impact of popular culture events on the environment, offering unique ideas for sustainable development, and breaking down new climate legislation in simple terms. As Stephanie is passionate about linking the bridge between the everyday activities we love to do (such as travel, concerts, fashion, food, etc.) and the effect it has on the environment, she is pursuing further training for more in-depth journalistic endeavors on the environment in the future.

After starting her career at Greenly in 2022, she started a joined PhD between the startup and CentraleSupélec to improve company sustainabilty performance ratings.

Marine Kohler

Marine has an engineering degree from the French school of CentraleSupélec and a masters in Industrial Management from DTU. After starting her career at Greenly in 2022, she started a joined PhD between the startup and CentraleSupélec to improve company sustainabilty performance ratings.

Copywriter specializing in environmental thematics

Ines Gendre is a copywriter specializing in environmental issues. She joined Greenly's team in 2022.

Ines Gendre

Ines Gendre holds a master’s degree in marketing and began her career in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. After retraining, she joined Greenly in 2022 as a copywriter specializing in environmental issues. Ines brings her expertise to companies and individuals seeking to understand the challenges of climate change, the green transition, and their impact on society and the economy. Trained in key tools for developing climate strategies - such as Carbon Assessments, Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), and carbon offsetting - she will begin studying political science at Oxford University in England in January 2025.

Kara joined the team at Greenly in 2023 as SEO copywriter for the UK market.

Kara Anderson - Greenly

Kara Anderson holds an undergraduate law degree and a master’s degree in international law from the University of Glasgow and the University of Aberdeen, specializing in human rights and EU law, where she developed strong research and writing skills. After working at Ernst & Young as part of their audit graduate scheme and gaining experience in analytics, she transitioned to advertising, working with major global brands like American Express and Dove.
In 2023, Kara joined Greenly as a writer, focusing on sustainability and climate-related topics for the UK market. Her work spans a wide range of environmental issues, including climate science, sustainable development, and climate policy. Collaborating with climate scientists, Kara has produced data-driven investigations into key climate challenges. With a passion for international politics, sustainable development, and climate change science, she continues to build her expertise in the field and is currently pursuing further training in journalism.

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Matthieu Vegreville

Matthieu is a 28 year-old graduate engineer from Ecole Polytechnique and Télecom Paris, with a background in data science at Withings. While there, he worked on watch activity detection algorithms, and developed a health study activity so that connected objects could be used to better monitor certain pathologies. He has long been involved in data science projects with his brother, who has the same training. Faced with the urgency of the climate crisis, he decided to put his know-how at the service of the environment. 

Arnaud Delubac

Arnaud, 26 years old, trained as a designer and in digital communication at INSEEC before joining the Master Entrepreunariat at ESSEC-CentraleSupélec. Passionate about social media since his teenage years, he has created some of the biggest Twitter communities in France before joining the digital communication team of the Prime Minister’s office in Matignon. It was at the Secretaries of State for Digital, Mounir Mahjoubi and Cédric O, where Arnaud directly managed the team, that he developed a strong conviction for the need to use technology to bring awareness to the greatest causes of our time.

Alexis Normand

Alexis is a 37 year-old graduate of HEC and Sciences-Po. After his studies, he spent 2 years working in public policy consulting. He then spent 6 years at Withings, a leading company in connected objects. While there, he continued the companies operations in Boston, USA, and created the company’s health department. After the company was bought by Nokia, he joined the startup Embleema by working through Techstars, one of the best startup incubators in the United States, where he developed a taste for entrepreneurship. His return to France was an opportunity to put all his experience at the service of the environment, during a crucial moment in the climate crisis.

Justine Dumont

Justine a toujours été passionnée de lecture et d’écriture. En 2019, elle parvient justement à faire de sa passion son métier, en devenant rédactrice web indépendante. Motivée par ses engagements écologiques, elle rejoint l’équipe de Greenly en 2022 afin de mettre ses compétences au service de la cause environnementale. 

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