White House Steps In To Confer 'Quasi-Regulatory Power' To Foreign Green Groups

The investigation alleges that the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) manipulated federal acquisition regulations to favor environmental activist groups with strong ties to Democrat donors and CEQ staff.

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee's oversight subcommittee circulated an internal GOP memo on Monday, revealing these allegations. The memo, shared with Fox News Digital, suggests that the CEQ successfully lobbied the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council to outsource the Biden administration's climate reporting and disclosure initiative to two UK-based environmental groups: the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

January 23, 2024

"The White House Council on Environmental Quality clearly exerted inappropriate influence during the development of this rule," House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. He further expressed concerns about the potential conflicts of interest, where CEQ staff advocated for regulations that would benefit their former employers and associates.

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The controversy dates back to May 2021 when President Biden instructed the FAR Council to develop regulations requiring federal contractors to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and set "science-based reduction targets." In November 2022, the FAR Council proposed that all federal contractors disclose their emissions through CDP and validate their targets through SBTi, effectively outsourcing policy to foreign nonprofits.

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According to the GOP memo, in December 2021, the CEQ, OMB, and the Office of Climate Policy within the White House urged department heads to utilize existing third-party standards and systems, specifically naming CDP and SBTi. However, the memo alleges that the CEQ's involvement in the selection of CDP and SBTi extended beyond this message, contradicting under-oath testimony from CEQ Chief Sustainability Officer Andrew Mayock.

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The memo states, "Documents obtained by the Committee contradict this narrative by showing that CEQ worked closely with CDP to tailor its message to the FAR Council in order to guarantee its inclusion in the proposed rule." It further alleges that a senior CEQ staffer, who previously held a senior role at CDP, may have joined CEQ with the intention of directing money, influence, and regulatory authority to CDP/SBTi.

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Betty Cremmins, the director for Sustainable Supply Chains at CEQ, led the office's work on the FAR Council proposal throughout 2022 and maintained regular contact with officials at both CDP and SBTi. However, Cremmins previously worked at CDP, raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest.

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The GOP memo concludes that the decision to select CDP and SBTi appears to be based on arbitrary rulemaking rather than a meritorious process or generally accepted science. It states, "The evidence shows that the FAR Council was minimally involved in the vetting of CDP and SBTi."

The CEQ, CDP, and SBTi have not yet responded to requests for comment. The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee has pledged to continue its investigation until it receives "satisfactory answers" from the White House.