Council on Environmental Quality August 5, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is issuing its final guidance on considering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews. Many projects and programs proposed by, or requiring the approval of, Federal agencies have the potential to emit or sequester GHGs and may be affected by climate change. It follows that, under NEPA, Federal decision-makers and the public should be informed about a proposal's GHG emissions and climate change implications. Such information can help a decision-maker make an informed choice between alternative actions that will result in different levels of GHG emissions or consider mitigation measures that reduce climate change impacts. This final guidance applies to all types of proposed Federal agency actions, including land and resource management actions, and provides agencies with a framework for agency consideration of the effects of GHGs and climate change to ensure efficient and transparent agency decision- making.