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Mere weeks before COP29 convened occurred the latest shift in the US political landscape—the re-election of President Donald Trump—which carries with it the uncertainty in the US' sustainability views. While government changes almost always come with a difference in policy, for a country as powerful as America, any policy has the potential to create a far and wide ripple effect on the global community. Still, through the efforts of the public and private sectors and international partnerships, advancing climate action will remain a part of the American agenda. How might this happen?
THE CHANGING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN THE US
Some critics are concerned that President Trump could pose significant challenges to American climate action by expanding fossil fuel investment, relaxing carbon emission regulations, etc. According to John Podesta, the presidential senior international climate policy advisor, these potential changes threaten to reverse progress made under the current administration, including investments in clean energy and commitments to increase global climate financing. Additionally, per analyses from MIT, the upcoming policy changes could lead to an additional 4 billion metric tons of carbon emissions by 2030. With this year’s record-breaking heatwaves in Europe, catastrophic floods in Africa and the US itself, and widespread environmental degradation, if such warnings turned into reality, the US policy shifts would turn into a downward shift for the global fight against climate change.
PUTTING DIFFERENCES ASIDE AND FORGING A PATH FORWARD TOGETHER
While US politics was discussed extensively at COP29, various critical roles of the private and public sectors in sustaining momentum on climate action also emerged. Businesses could continue to lead in deploying clean technologies while state and local governments—which, in the US, are powerful enough to drive change on their own—remain steadfast in advancing renewable energy and emissions reduction initiatives. Some commentators might be pleased to learn that the climate issue is surprisingly non-partisan, with Republican policymakers in states such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Ohio endorsing clean energy projects, which usually would be identified with the Democratic Party. Apart from domestic American public and private segments, existing international partnerships must stay the course, for America is one of the few nations that can realistically support vulnerable countries facing climate-induced disasters. The fact that in the first administration of President Trump, America did not withdraw from the Paris Agreement strengthens the notion that this time, too, such a partnership, which benefits both the US and the world, will remain in effect.
Though what the actual American policy will be in the coming months remains a mystery, one thing was clear at COP: the fight against climate change must transcend political cycles and individual leaders. While some might believe in plausible challenges from the new administration on the US climate efforts, collective action can be made to safeguard the environment against political shifts. When human lives are hanging on a thread, climate change stops being mere political rhetoric; everyone knows and is pulling in their weight to stem the tide.
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