Tech leaders shift stance as Trump exits Paris climate pact again
Silicon Valley executives who once opposed Donald Trump’s 2017 withdrawal from the Paris Agreement are now largely silent after his second exit, aligning with his administration amid growing energy needs for AI development.
Corbin Hiar and Sara Schonhardt report for POLITICO.
In short:
- Tech giants, including Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, supported Trump’s second inauguration despite another withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.
- Rising energy demands for AI data centers have fostered ties between Silicon Valley and Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies.
- Many tech companies continue their carbon-reduction commitments but with reduced public advocacy under Trump’s administration.
Key quote:
“Their silence now is cowardly, complicit in reinforcing the status quo fossil fuel economy, and shows that they care more about their own profits than the American people.”
— Bill Weihl, Facebook’s former director of sustainability and founder of ClimateVoice
Why this matters:
As tech companies deepen their reliance on energy-intensive AI systems, their quiet support for policies promoting fossil fuels threatens progress on climate goals. This dynamic underscores the tension between corporate climate pledges and economic interests.
Learn more: Meta ends climate fact-checking, will rely on users to counter misinformation
