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119-s-3282119th Congress

Targeting Environmental and Climate Recklessness Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

Introduced

Summary

Targeted sanctions would be authorized against foreign people whose actions significantly worsen climate change, drive deforestation, or harm environmental defenders. The bill spells out who can be sanctioned and what tools the President may use, such as visa bans and asset blocks.

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  • Environmental defenders: The bill defines defenders broadly to include people who advocate for environment, public health, Indigenous or community land rights, those who investigate or expose harm, and people displaced by human-caused environmental change. It urges priority action against activities that undermine efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
  • Foreign actors and companies: The President could sanction foreign persons who knowingly, recklessly, or willfully cause greenhouse gas emissions outside Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pathways, engage in illegal deforestation or loss of carbon sinks, misrepresent environmental impacts, or materially assist such conduct. Deforestation is defined with a minimum 10 percent canopy threshold for conversion to other land uses.
  • U.S. enforcement and resources: Sanctions options include visa ineligibility and property blocking under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and other measures in the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The bill requires the President to consider information from Congress, foreign partners, and NGOs and authorizes appropriations to strengthen the Office of Foreign Assets Control for these actions.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New climate-linked sanctions and funding

If enacted, the bill would let the President sanction foreign people or companies for major climate or forest harms. Covered acts include big greenhouse gas projects inconsistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, illegal deforestation, and lying about environmental impacts. Sanctions could block or seize property in the United States, make people ineligible for visas, or revoke existing visas and use other penalties. It would define protected people to include environmental advocates, investigators, and those displaced by human-caused or climate-linked harm. The bill would also authorize "such sums as may be necessary" for Treasury's OFAC to target and enforce these sanctions, and it urges the President to prioritize harms to the climate, forests, and environmental defenders.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

MA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 12/1/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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