President-elect Donald Trump’s victory marks a stark shift away from climate action, but state and local efforts may still lead the way in the fight against climate change. Picture: Dominic Naidoo
Donald Trump has won the US presidency again, and the news is nothing short of catastrophic for the climate.
Trump’s track record on climate issues has been alarming, marked by a blatant disregard for environmental protections and an embrace of fossil fuel industry interests.
He has previously dismissed global warming as a “hoax” and took the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Now, with his re-election, there is every reason to expect a return to policies that would accelerate the country’s environmental decline.
During his campaign, Trump promised to boost oil production even further in the US, already the world’s leading producer, with his infamous slogan “Drill, baby, drill.” He also vowed to intensify fracking—a highly polluting method for extracting oil and gas—using the catchphrase, “We’re going to frack, frack, frack.”
This could significantly increase US emissions, with a Carbon Brief study projecting that Trump's policies could add 4 billion tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by 2030. For a country already struggling to meet global climate targets, this is a devastating blow.
As difficult as it may be to swallow this news, especially considering the broader implications for women’s, LGBTQ+, and racial justice under Trump’s presidency, the fight for climate justice is far from over. While Trump’s administration may roll back crucial climate protections and funding, a strong resistance is emerging.
Despite Trump’s alarming rhetoric, the transition to clean energy is unstoppable. States like Washington and California have passed ambitious climate measures, including emission caps and funding for environmental projects, showing that progress can continue at the local level.
Speaking to the New York Times, Martin Lockman, of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, points out that the focus on climate action may shift to the states, especially in regions where the term “climate change” is politically controversial but the impact is undeniable.
Nonetheless, experts warn that Trump’s policies could have serious consequences for the global climate effort. With the US set to fall far short of its emission reduction targets, the global ramifications are dire.
Laurence Tubiana, France’s former climate ambassador, emphasised that the future of renewable energy lies in Europe and other nations, suggesting the US could forfeit its economic leadership in the green economy if it retreats from clean energy..
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