DENVER — Colorado joined 21 other states and local governments, including Boulder, in suing the Trump administration’s attempt to roll back clean air standards and climate rules, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to dismantle the 2015 Clean Power Plan reduces efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and allows the agency to abandon its legal responsibility to regulate air pollutants.

The rule would also stop the progress that Colorado and other states are making toward clean, renewable and affordable electricity generation, Attorney General Phil Weiser said.

“Because Colorado’s economy relies on our natural resources, we are among the first to witness the effects of climate change,” Weiser said in a statement.

“The EPA’s rollback of clean air standards and climate rules and their proposed replacement undermine the rule of law and the work Colorado has already done to advance clean energy solutions and curb harmful emissions.”

“Protecting our land, air, and water is a top priority for the Attorney General’s Office. We owe it to future generations to ensure that climate change is treated as a serious threat and that the rule of law is fairly applied.”

The federal lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington by the 22-state coalition , as well as major cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.