On February 28, the same day that the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a new report that found that the pace of climate change is rapidly outstripping humanity’s capacity to deal with it, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case that could gut the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to regulate greenhouse gas pollution. The case, West Virginia v. EPA, could have huge implications for environmental policy-making and the future of U.S. climate mitigation. If the court limits EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, it would strip the U.S. of one of its key tools to fight climate change.

In opting to hear this case, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court has tipped its hand that it is looking to roll back the power of the executive branch to enact climate and environmental policies.

If this happens, it will be up to Congress to pass legislation that specifically codifies the environmental safeguards and policies that we’ve been able to take for granted for decades.

Climate change is the greatest threat to our planet and to humanity. Already, we are feeling the impact of escalating floods, fires, heatwaves, and storms. And as we currently struggle through a global pandemic, climate change can also increase the frequency of future pandemics.

We must prepare to tackle the climate crisis against any obstacles, including the stolen Supreme Court. In the face of a potential stripping of the federal government’s ability to respond to climate change, Congress must immediately step up and pass meaningful climate actions.

Sign the petition to Congress: Defend our environment against SCOTUS’ rollbacks.