The Obama administration announced Monday that it would combat emissions from airplanes as part of its climate change initiative, the New York Times reported.
The sweeping plan comes as President Obama prepares to leave the White House and build on his climate change legacy. The new airline rules would be the final piece of his agenda and follow the Paris Agreement that 200 countries signed, committing to taking action to reduce emissions that are believed to cause global warming
The plan released by the Environmental Protection Agency calls emissions from aircraft an "endangerment finding" and says pollution from airplanes endangers human health by contributing to climate change.
"EPA has already set effective greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks and any future aircraft engine standards will also provide important climate and public health benefits," said Janet McCabe, the acting assistant administrator for air and radiation for the EPA.
The plan does not have a timeline for fully implementing the rules nor does it include details of the regulation. The Times reported that it is possible for the EPA to release a draft by January 2017. While the draft rule could be the last action on climate change for Obama, the next administration has the ability to rewrite the draft rule.
The Obama administration has come under fire for the president’s frequent use of Air Force One. The presidential jet covered 1,836 miles round trip on Earth Day and consumed 9,180 gallons of gas, which is five times as much as the average American emits in a year.
Airlines for America called the regulation on the edge of feasibility.
"You cannot adopt a standard that you don’t know you can meet for an aircraft. Safety is job No. 1 in aviation. And if you say maybe we can push technology to meet this, that’s a worry," said Nancy Young, vice president for environmental affairs at the Airlines for America.
Airlines only account for two percent of global emissions.
Secretary of State John Kerry has also been addressing climate change, recently saying that hydrofluorocarbons that are produced in air conditioners are a bigger threat to global security than terrorism.