Trump moves swiftly to dismantle U.S. climate policies, a legacy that could long outlast his presidency
President Donald Trump has aggressively targeted federal climate initiatives, cutting funding, firing staff, and rolling back clean energy programs in ways that could reshape U.S. policy for years.
Benjamin Storrow and Jean Chemnick report for E&E News.
In short:
- Thousands of employees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and other agencies have been fired, while funding for climate programs, clean energy rebates, and research grants has been halted or rescinded.
- Trump has moved to weaken or eliminate key environmental regulations, threatened tariffs on clean energy imports, and taken steps to undermine the legal basis for greenhouse gas regulations.
- Scientists and federal employees report self-censoring climate-related work, fearing retaliation as research grants and agency priorities shift away from climate science.
Key quote:
“This shock and awe campaign will undo decades of bipartisan and international efforts to curb greenhouse gases and, if left unchecked, will lead to the planet warming far beyond manageable levels.”
— Jillian Blanchard, head of climate change program at the watchdog group Lawyers for Good Government
Why this matters:
The rapid rollback of climate policies threatens to reverse progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, just as scientists warn that time is running out to prevent catastrophic warming. Slashing clean energy funding and regulatory protections could disrupt industries that rely on government incentives, slow the transition away from fossil fuels, and weaken U.S. leadership in global climate efforts. Federal workers and researchers are left uncertain about the future of climate science and policy, while businesses and communities face financial instability from abruptly frozen grants and incentives.
