Trump's Drilling Leases on Public Lands Could Release 4.7B Metric Tons of Carbon—More Than All 28 EU Countries Emit in a Year

A national conservation group revealed Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s drilling leases on public lands could lead to the release of more carbon emissions than the European Union contributes in an entire year.

The Wilderness Society estimates that U.S. companies will release at least 854 million and as much as 4.7 billion metric tons of carbon if it develops leases in public waters and lands.

“These leasing decisions have significant and long-term ramifications for our climate and our ability to stave off the worst impacts of global warming.” —Wilderness Society”Taking into account the potency of shorter-lived climate pollutants like methane, lifecycle emissions resulting from the development of these leases could be as high as 5.2 billion metric tons,” the group’s new report reads.

The 28 countries in the EU released four billion metric tons in one year, according to the most recent available data.

Regardless of exactly how many leases are put to use by oil and gas companies, the Wilderness Society reports, “These leasing decisions have significant and long-term ramifications for our climate and our ability to stave off the worst impacts of global warming.”

Since taking office in 2017, Trump has offered up 378 million acres of public land to oil and gas companies and has sought to overturn the Obama administration’s ban on coal leases.

Climate action groups and lawmakers have pushed back against the administration’s plans. Earlier this month California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), saying the federal government’s plan to open up more than 725,000 acres across California amounted to an abdication of “our responsibility to protect our residents, our resources, and our right to pursue a future beyond fossil fuels.”

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