On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed and announced the rescission of more than 70 Biden-era executive orders, mostly focused on climate. AGC of America has been digging into the details to assess how these rescissions will impact the construction industry.
Relevant rescissions include:
Executive Order 14037, Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks: This executive order directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish stricter vehicle emission standards and boost investments to advance the electric vehicle market.
Executive Order 14052, Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): This order focused on the implementation of the IIJA and emphasized Biden administration priorities like investing in underserved communities and combatting climate change.
Executive Order 14030, Climate-Related Financial Risk: The order aimed to require companies to disclose climate risks.
Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability: This order aimed to accelerate the government’s transition to clean energy and promote the advancement of green technologies. It established the “Buy Clean” program, which prioritized purchasing low-carbon, sustainable materials for infrastructure projects. When combined with the rescinding of several other climate-related executive orders, this marks the end of the “whole-of-government” approach to climate action and environmental justice.
Executive Order 14082, Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: This order expedited clean energy investments, including electric vehicles and their supporting infrastructure, while emphasizing environmental justice in the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The full impact of these rescissions is yet to be determined – especially on projects reliant on funding that may be tied to climate or equity initiatives, in the planning process, or using Buy Clean materials— but they clearly mark a significant shift away from President Biden’s approach to climate and equity issues.
It is important to note that executive orders do not create laws by themselves, and the rescission of these orders does not automatically change any existing laws or programs. Instead, executive orders direct federal agencies to work to achieve these goals through their standard processes.
AGC will closely monitor how these rescissions affect the construction industry.
For additional information, please contact Spencer Phillips.