During his election campaigns, Donald Trump has been known to label climate change as a “hoax” and deride clean energy as a “scam”, compared with the golden promises of oil and gas. For this reason, climate experts are lamenting Donald Trump’s re-election.
Taking office in January 2025, Donald Trump will once again have the power to remove the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and rubber-stamp a flurry of oil and gas drilling. Having already spent four years in the White House, from 2017 to 2021, Trump will be able to set off on the front foot, with climate experts fearing a “far more methodical second presidency”. And, with the two-term presidential limit in the United States, Trump won’t be burdened with the realities of re-election. Instead, he can be aggressive with his domestic and international agendas, acting almost with impunity.
Also in his sightline is Biden’s flagship Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a $370 billion uplift supporting clean energy; repealing the IRA is reported to be a “prized target” for Trump. However, analysis has shown that Republican congressional districts, in states such as North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada, have benefitted most from the IRA’s employment growth and clean energy investments. If Trump attempts to drive away this deep-rooted investment, he may face widespread opposition from his own party.
Despite the initial shock at Donald Trump’s win, there is hope among some experts. Gina McCarthy, former climate adviser to Joe Biden, said: “The shift to clean energy is unstoppable and our country is not turning back. We cannot and will not let Trump stand in the way of giving our kids and grandkids the freedom to grow up in safer and healthier communities.”