New EDF maps show climate change is raising costs nationwide, federal rollbacks will make it worse. Interactive data shows repealing the Endangerment Finding will increase costs, health risks April 15, 2026 Environmental Defense Fund today launched new interactive maps and real-life stories showing how climate change is already raising costs for families, straining water supplies and driving more billion-dollar disasters across the United States. The maps underscore the vital importance of defending core climate protections that help advance clean solutions, cut harmful pollution, save people money and support jobs nationwide. Across the West, extreme heat, drought and wildfire are already breaking records in 2026. More than 30 cities and 17 states recorded their hottest March temperatures. Snowpack in the Colorado River basin has fallen to record lows, putting water supplies for 40 million people at risk and increasing the risk of a more severe wildfire season. The maps show that repealing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Endangerment Finding would increase climate pollution, raising costs and health risks for Americans. The Endangerment Finding is the legal foundation under the Clean Air Act for limiting climate pollution because it recognizes the harm to people's health and welfare. In February, the Trump Administration attempted to repeal it, along with national standards for cars and trucks. "Climate change is driving extreme weather, worsening air quality, harming people's health and raising costs for Americans," said Ellen Robo, EDF's Senior Manager of Clean Air Policy and Analytics. "Clean solutions available now can cut pollution and save people money. Repealing these protections will raise costs and put more families at risk." What the maps show: * Every county is getting hotter. Temperatures have increased nationwide, driving more extreme heat, crop losses and poor air quality. Heat-related deaths have risen more than 50% over the past two decades. * Water systems are under strain. Snowpack has declined at 81% of monitored sites in the West since 1955, reducing a critical source of water for agriculture and communities. * Disaster costs are rising. The U.S. has experienced 426 billion-dollar disasters since 1980 totaling more than $3.1 trillion in losses. Nearly half of those costs have occurred in the past decade. * Household costs are increasing. Insurance premiums are rising as climate risk grows. In parts of Florida, homeowners are paying up to $1,500 more per year, pricing some families out of coverage and shifting more costs onto households. How repealing the Endangerment Finding and clean vehicle standards will worsen harms: * Increase climate pollution. Transportation is the largest source of climate pollution in the U.S., and eliminating clean vehicle standards could add 18 billion metric tons of pollution by 2055, roughly three times total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions last year. * Increase health harms. More smog and soot could drive up to $500 billion in health damages by 2055, including premature deaths, asthma attacks and hospital visits, with at least 26 states facing $5 billion or more in damages. * Increase costs. Forcing Americans to rely on higher-polluting vehicles could cost up to $1.4 trillion more in gasoline by 2055, with 36 states facing over $10 billion each in added fuel costs and 11 states over $40 billion. Actual impacts could be far higher as its analysis predates current high gas prices. The series features firsthand accounts from Americans already feeling these impacts. In Las Vegas, family physician Dr. Joanne Leovy reports rising cases of heat-related illness, particularly among lower-income patients. In Houston, resident Faye Ku spent more than $2,000 to relocate after Hurricane Beryl damaged her apartment, recovered only $500 from FEMA and took on debt to cover the rest. Climate change is already raising costs for households and states. Clean energy and transportation solutions are available to substantially cut this harmful pollution, lower costs and support jobs in communities across the country. The Trump Administration's move to repeal the Endangerment Finding and clean vehicle standards would increase harmful climate pollution and shift even more costs and risks onto families and communities. Explore the interactive maps and stories to see how these impacts are unfolding in your state, what is at stake if protections are rolled back and why these protections matter. With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org Media contact. Mica Crouse (512) 691-3451 Related expert. Senior Manager, Clean Air Policy and Analytics The big picture. Key priority. Issue. Approaches. Place.

Environmental Defense Fund opens international workshop to accelerate wildfire resilience. Convened in Quito, Ecuador, the workshop brings together governments, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and civil society representatives to address wildfires April 14, 2026 The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador (MAE) and in partnership with BirdLife International and the Global Wildfire Collective, today announced the opening of a three-day international workshop to review and assess the status of Amazonian countries in relation to the four pillars of the Wildfire Action Accelerator Pledge announced at COP30. The pledge is a global initiative designed to strengthen how countries prevent, manage, and respond to increasingly severe wildfires, grounded in four core pillars: elevating traditional and Indigenous fire knowledge, scaling sustainable finance for prevention and early action, strengthening governance and policy integration, and advancing science, technology, and data systems to support more proactive and coordinated action. The event brings together government officials, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and civil society representatives from across the Amazon basin to address wildfires, one of the region's most urgent environmental crises. The event represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen regional and international coordination among technical, community, and political actors, align priorities, and promote a shared agenda for cooperation in addressing wildfires. "In the face of the increasing number of forest fires, it is essential to strengthen prevention systems, early monitoring, and institutional coordination. This workshop offers a key opportunity to exchange experiences and knowledge among countries, and to advance joint technical solutions through South-South cooperation," said Milton Ordoñez, Director of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador. "Wildfires are not only an environmental issue; they are also a climate, social, and territorial challenge. Addressing them requires coordination at the same scale as the problem itself. The Wildfire Action Accelerator, together with Environmental Defense Fund's leadership, is helping to open that path by creating spaces where diverse voices can come together to build shared solutions that are stronger, more inclusive, and more durable," added Santiago García, PhD, Director of Forest Partnerships, EDF. Why now? Wildfires in the Amazon region have ceased to be seasonal events and have emerged as one of the major threats to vital forests that help stabilize the global climate. As highlighted by the IPCC - Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), the FAO - Fire Management and Climate Change, and the Spreading Like Wildfire report, fire regimes have intensified in frequency, scale, and unpredictability, exacerbating climate, environmental, and social risks. Amazon wildfires were the dominant cause of 2024's record-setting loss of 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forests, those with the greatest biodiversity and ecosystem services values. Over the past decade, fire scars in the Brazilian Amazon have covered an area larger than France - 62 million hectares. Current models project that the type of extreme events that led to a severe 2024-2025 fire season in South America will become more frequent (34-57%) by 2100, under medium-high climate change scenarios. Four pillars of action The Wildfire Action Accelerator Pledge promotes an international process structured around four pillars: i) Strengthening the leadership and traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities ii) Mobilizing sustainable financing iii) Integrating fire management into climate and forest policies iv) Strengthening South-South and international cooperation through the identification of existing capacities, gaps, and the prioritization of strategic actions. The workshop is conceived as a technical-political and practical space aimed at validating preliminary findings on the regional situation across the pledge's pillars, assessing national capacities, and prioritizing strategic actions to accelerate responses to wildfires in tropical forest countries. What the workshop will achieve Over three days, the workshop will bring together government representatives, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and technical partners in a structured, participatory process moving from assessment to action. Participants will collectively validate a regional diagnosis of current capacities across Amazonian countries against the Pledge's four pillars, establishing a shared, evidence-based understanding of strengths and gaps - then identify and prioritize strategic regional actions for the short and medium term based on impact, feasibility, and urgency. The workshop will also: * Address key technical, institutional, and financial needs as well as opportunities to mobilize resources * Facilitate knowledge and experience exchange * Explore tools, and emerging technologies to strengthen integrated fire management Together, these efforts aim to produce a clear, actionable roadmap for coordinated wildfire prevention, preparedness, and response across the Amazon. Concrete outputs will include a validated regional matrix organized by country and aligned with the Pledge's four pillars - capturing current capacities and gaps - along with a consolidated technical report synthesizing key findings, insights, and lessons from the discussions. Building on this foundation, participants will develop a prioritized regional action plan that outlines practical steps for implementation in the short and medium term. The workshop will also produce a technical note identifying cooperation opportunities and potential funding pathways, helping to connect countries and partners with the resources needed to translate commitments into tangible results, that strengthen wildfire prevention efforts. With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org Media contact. Judit Langh +1 (415) 290-5516 Related expert. Director, Forests Partnerships The big picture. Key priority. Approach.

EDF at Climate Week NYC 2025.