Langworthy’s Contradictory Stance on Climate

Two Climate Positions in Two Weeks

In recent weeks, Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY-23) has taken positions on climate-related policy that move in opposite directions. On one hand, he’s proposed legislation to roll back energy efficiency standards for new federal buildings. On the other hand, he has co-authored a formal letter to the Canadian government expressing concern about wildfire smoke affecting air quality in New York State.

Bill to Roll Back Federal Building Energy Standards

On July 23, 2025, Langworthy introduced H.R. 4690, A BILL TO AMEND THE ENERGY CONSERVATION AND PRODUCTION ACT BY REPEALING FEDERAL BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. Current law (The Energy Conservation and Production Act) requires that new federal buildings be designed to use at least 30 percent less energy than baseline standards over their lifecycle if the improvements are cost-effective.  Repealing these standards will lead to less efficient federal buildings, increased energy consumption and associated costs, as well as hinder efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. 

H.R. 4690 is not a bipartisan bill. It has seven Republican co-sponsors and no Democratic co-sponsors (Congress.gov). The ultimate fate of the bill is unknown. It has been assigned to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

Langworthy is the only New York Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, while New York Democrats include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY14), Paul Tonko (NY20, and Yvette Clarke (NY9).

There are no New York Republicans on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. New York Democrats include Jerry Nadler (NY12), Pat Ryan (NY18), and Laura Gillan (NY4).

CO₂ Levels at Record Highs

Langworthy’s proposed bill comes at a time when atmospheric CO₂ levels are at record highs. In 2025, the seasonal peak reached about 430 parts per million (ppm). This is far above the pre-industrial level of roughly 280 ppm in the early 1800s (NOAA). The average for July 2025 was approximately 427.87 ppm (Scripps CO₂ Program).

According to climate science, increases in atmospheric CO₂ are closely linked to rising global temperatures (NASA). In 2024, global surface temperatures were the warmest on record, measuring 1.55 °C above pre-industrial averages (Copernicus Climate Change Service).

Carbon dioxide is the primary long-lived greenhouse gas. Each additional part per million of carbon dioxide increases the atmosphere’s ability to trap heat. Since the early 1800s, global temperatures have risen by about 1.6 °C. And rising global temperatures have been linked to altered weather patterns, stronger storms, and conditions that make wildfires more frequent and severe.

Letter to the Canadian Prime Minister

On August 7, 2025, roughly two weeks after introducing H.R. 4690, Rep. Langworthy co-authored a letter with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY21) to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (Spectrum News, see below). The letter, sent on congressional letterhead, stated that “families across the state are forced to stay indoors during summer” due to “unacceptable levels of smoke” from Canadian wildfires. It also cited “forest mismanagement and lack of effective deterrence of human-caused fire” as concerns. The letter called on Canada to take “immediate and sustained action” to reduce wildfire smoke affecting the United States and requested a response outlining the steps being taken to address the issue.

The letter did not mention climate-related factors identified by scientists as contributing to increased wildfire activity, such as longer, hotter summers, drier forests, and more extreme fire seasons. Conditions that research has linked to rising greenhouse gas concentrations (IPCC).

Campaign Contributions from Oil and Gas

Campaign finance records from OpenSecrets.org show that during the 2023–2024 election cycle, Langworthy received approximately $68,766 from the oil and gas industry. About $50,000 of that came from political action committees connected to companies such as Koch Industries, National Fuel Gas, Chevron, and Marathon Petroleum.

Opposite Sides of the Same Coin

Langworthy first introduced legislation to repeal federal building energy standards designed to limit greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Then Langworthy and Stefanik pressed a foreign government to address wildfire smoke resulting from rising emissions and increased global warming. Together, Langwothy’s recent actions are diametric opposites.