WASHINGTON (CNS) – The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, welcomed the White House’s Clean Power Plan that establishes federal limits on carbon emissions from coal-fired power plans. Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami called the standard “an important step forward to protect the health of all people, especially children, the elderly, and poor and vulnerable communities, from harmful pollution and the impacts of climate change.”

“The bishops welcome this important move by the administration to adopt long-awaited standards to mitigate climate change and safeguard health, which are significant ways to live out our responsibility to care for God’s creation,” he said in an Aug. 3 statement hours after the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency announced the plan.

The final plan sets standards for reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. It allows states and utilities to develop methods to reach the goals based on local needs and circumstances. Power plants are the nation’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions.

The plan is part of President Barack Obama’s overarching strategy to address climate change in the final two years of his presidency.