WASHINGTON—Secretary of State John Kerry had probably the most reliably pro-environment records in just about three decades as a U.S. senator: He often has warned about fossil fuels in writings and speeches, and environmental activists describe him as a “champion” of law to curb the greenhouse gases that make a contribution to international warming. “If we put an end to the technology of dirty fossil fuels, we are able to begin an technology of sustainability…for our nation and our world,” concludes a book written with the aid of Mr. Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry in 2007 (The couple met at an Earth Day rally in 1990). The State Department is overseeing a permit evaluate since the pipeline crosses Canadian border, and Mr. Kerry informed senior staffers in a personal assembly this week that he hasn’t but made up his thoughts. “There is wide berth not just for Secretary Kerry but ultimately the president to have it whichever way they want,” stated Karen Harbert, who heads the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vitality institute.