US President Joe Biden announced Friday he decided to temporarily pause all pending approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports amid climate change concerns.
"In every corner of the country and the world, people are suffering the devastating toll of climate change," he said in a statement released by the White House.
Biden said his administration will study the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, the US' energy security, and the environment during this pause.
The president said the pause excludes "unanticipated and immediate" national security emergencies.
The White House said in a separate statement that the current economic and environmental analysis the department of Energy uses are roughly five years old and no longer adequately account for considerations like potential energy cost increases for American consumers, or the latest assessment of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
"Today, we have an evolving understanding of the market need for LNG, the long-term supply of LNG, and the perilous impacts of methane on our planet," it said.
The decision will not impact the US to continue supplying LNG to its allies in the near-term, since the pause covers only countries that the US does not have a free trade agreement with, according to the latter statement.
The US is the top LNG exporter in the world, with approximately half of it going to Europe last year, and it is expected to double its export volume by the end of this decade, said the White House.
