Trump’s win signals climate policy rollback in US and globally

Donald Trump’s victory signals a shift away from U.S. climate commitments, including plans to expand fossil fuel production, dismantle environmental protections and withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

Marianne Lavelle reports for Inside Climate News.


In short:

  • Trump’s win jeopardizes recent U.S. climate gains, with plans to undo clean energy policies, pull out of global climate agreements and support expanded fossil fuel production.
  • Environmental advocates pledge to resist rollbacks at all government levels, with some noting that clean energy investments have bipartisan support in many states.
  • Trump’s campaign successfully framed clean energy policies as economically harmful, an argument that helped him secure key battleground states.

Key quote:

"The climate movement urgently needs more political power because the climate crisis is moving infinitely faster than our politics right now."

— Nathaniel Stinnett, Environmental Voter Project

Why this matters:

The reversal of U.S. climate policies threatens global progress on carbon reduction at a critical time. By weakening environmental protections and ramping up fossil fuel use, the U.S. risks worsening climate impacts domestically and diminishing its role in international climate leadership.

Related: Trump's potential impact on climate policy

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