WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden Administration has finalized a two-step rulemaking process updating the National Environmental Policy Act. The rule affirms the responsibility of federal agencies to consider climate change and community concerns when making decisions about new projects.

“We’re pleased that the Biden Administration’s new rules will put science in the driver’s seat and ensure that reviews of federal projects are efficient, effective, and equitable,” said Jim Murphy, senior director of legal advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation. “Communities need an opportunity to raise concerns about projects that could harm the air they breathe, the water they drink, or the places they hold dear. These improvements will help us responsibly and swiftly transition to cleaner sources of energy and will result in federal projects that are better able to withstand a warming world.”