The US Climate Rollback: What Trump Second Term Means for Global Climate Action
The Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2025, its rollback of the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy provisions, and its aggressive push to expand domestic fossil fuel production have fundamentally altered the landscape of global climate diplomacy. How severe is the damage, and how much can US sub-national actors and the private sector compensate?
The Policy Rollbacks and Their Scale
The administration has moved to open federal lands and waters for oil and gas drilling, rescind vehicle emissions standards, weaken EPA regulations, and dismantle NOAA's climate monitoring programmes. The practical effects on US emissions are expected to be significant but delayed — many clean energy projects already underway are protected by contracts, state law, and sunk costs.
The Sub-National Counterweight
California, New York, and over 20 US states have pledged to maintain their own climate commitments regardless of federal policy. The US Climate Alliance — a coalition of governors committed to the Paris Agreement's goals — represents states accounting for more than half of US GDP and population. In clean energy, the economics have moved far enough that many investments are now driven by cost competitiveness rather than policy support alone.
Tags: US Climate Policy | Trump | Paris Agreement Withdrawal | Clean Energy | State Climate Action | IRA
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