Climate Test for Natural Gas Exports Splits White House Advisers

President Joe Biden’s top advisers are divided over how much to ramp up environmental scrutiny of licenses to ship natural gas abroad as companies and industry groups warn it could slow development of new export terminals, according to people familiar with the matter.

Administration officials who support taking a tougher approach argue it’s important on both climate and political grounds and are worried that the US has already authorized too much natural gas to flow overseas, said the people, who asked not to be named detailing private deliberations.

Biden has already alienated some young, climate-minded voters with his administration’s ...