Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The National Mining Association (NMA) engages negatively and actively with climate-related policy in the US. The NMA has strongly opposed emissions reduction standards and policy to transition the energy mix, consistently advocating for a long-term role for coal.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: The National Mining Association (NMA) has limited top-line messaging on climate policy. The group acknowledged the USA’s 2021 re-commitment to the Paris Agreement on its website, accessed in August 2024, but did not clearly support the climate treaty. On the same webpage, the NMA supported government policy to set up market-based solutions on climate, but it is unclear if it supports government regulation to address climate change. The group does not appear to have publicly supported action to address GHG emissions reductions in the last two years.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policy: The National Mining Association (NMA) engages on climate-related policies with negative positions, strongly opposing regulations to tackle GHG emissions in the US. The group has consistently opposed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s GHG emissions standards for existing coal and new gas power plants, such as in April 2024 and December 2023 comments to policymakers, in which it suggested that the proposed standards were unachievable. Additionally, in May 2024, the NMA took legal action against these standards, submitting a petition for review to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, advocating for their removal.
In February 2023 comments on the proposed Federal Acquisition Regulation, the NMA also opposed the GHG targets in the proposal, which would direct federal contractors to set science-based targets to reduce their GHG emissions. The NMA also suggested that the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council is acting beyond its legal boundary.
Positioning on Energy Transition: The National Mining Association (NMA) has strongly opposed the clean energy transition, with a focus on preserving a long-term role for coal in the US energy mix. The group has consistently opposed the early retirement of coal assets in its engagement with the EPA’s power plant rules while emphasizing the intermittency of renewables, such as in April 2024 comments.
In September 2023 comments, the NMA advocated for policymakers to withdraw the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Phase 2 Revisions, which proposed the consideration of GHG emissions as a key factor in project reviews, thus prolonging the permitting process for fossil fuel projects. Additionally, in July 2024, the NMA emphasized increased costs on coal, oil, and gas producers in its joint industry lawsuit against the U.S. Conservation and Landscape Health Rule.
The NMA has recognized a role for critical minerals in electric vehicle supply chains without clearly supporting the electrification of transport itself in line with IPCC recommendations. For example, in a February 2024 industry letter to policymakers, the group called for an extension of the 45X tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act to facilitate the growth of the US critical mineral supply chain in relation to electric vehicles, without clarifying support for the overall electrification of transport in line with IPCC recommendations.