The issue focused more specifically on the role of the U.S. government in promoting climate change. The study was commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund, the largest nonprofit environmental advocacy organization in the United States, and conducted by researchers with Stanford University, Columbia Law School, and Cornell University. It found that, since the late 19th century, a growing body of research has demonstrated that the United States government has a significant role in promoting climate change through policies.

The study, which is detailed here, examined whether