Introduction to the Climate Crisis
Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a present-day emergency. The Trump administration’s efforts to roll back environmental regulations and prioritize fossil fuels over clean energy are poised to accelerate this crisis. This raises a critical question: Will Trump kill sustainability?
Throughout his previous term, President Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement, dismantled key environmental protections, and promoted fossil fuel projects. These actions threaten to undermine decades of global efforts to curb climate pollution (Brookings Institution).
The federal government plays a crucial role in steering climate policy, shaping energy efficiency standards, and safeguarding environmental protections. Without strong leadership, the consequences will be severe: worsening extreme weather, soaring energy costs, and declining public health.
Summary:
- The Trump administration’s policies threaten to intensify the climate crisis.
- Fossil fuel promotion and regulatory rollbacks undermine sustainability.
- Federal leadership is essential to prevent worsening climate impacts.
Background on Climate Change
Climate change is primarily driven by greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. These emissions trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to extreme heat, shifting weather patterns, and rising sea levels (NASA).
The Trump administration’s fossil fuel agenda, including expanding oil and gas drilling and weakening clean air rules, would likely escalate greenhouse gas emissions. By sidelining renewable energy and rolling back energy efficiency standards, these policies pose a direct threat to climate resilience.
The National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Air Act are crucial safeguards. They mandate that federal agencies consider environmental impacts and set limits on pollution from power plants and vehicles. Weakening these laws jeopardizes both public health and environmental protection.
The federal government has the power to drive the energy transition by investing in renewable energy and enforcing pollution standards. Without these efforts, the United States risks falling behind in the global movement toward greenhouse gas reduction.
A Deregulation Frenzy: What’s at Stake
Ever wonder what happens when climate leadership takes a step backward? With Trump poised for a second term, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
In his first term, the Trump administration rolled back over 90 environmental regulations. These included pollution standards, clean air rules, and public land protections (Brookings Institution). His second term appears poised to double down on fossil fuel expansion and deregulation.
The Brookings Institution tracked 74 deregulatory actions during Trump’s first White House tenure, primarily targeting climate, air quality, and public lands. The administration’s early executive orders in a second term prioritize pipelines, oil drilling, and liquefied natural gas exports, while freezing electric vehicle and renewable energy subsidies.
The consequences are far-reaching. Stripping protections from forests, accelerating oil drilling, and sidelining clean energy directly threatens biodiversity, public health, and long-term climate stability.
National Forest Rollbacks and Carbon Loss
In 2025, Trump moved to rescind protections on 59 million acres of national forest by eliminating the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, opening old-growth forests to logging, mining, and road-building (The Guardian).
These forests act as vital carbon sinks, and their destruction releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide.
An executive order further expanded timber cuts across 280 million acres, often ignoring endangered species protections. The cumulative carbon loss from these policies would severely undermine efforts to combat climate change.
Additionally, staff layoffs across the National Park Service and Forest Service have hampered enforcement and conservation efforts, leaving protected areas vulnerable to exploitation and mismanagement.
Public Lands and Fractured Ecosystems
The Trump administration’s aggressive approach extended to public lands and national monuments. Protections were rolled back across key sites in California, Alaska, and the Southwest, opening these areas to drilling, mining, and industrial development (The Guardian).
Experts warn that this could fragment ecosystems, disrupt wildlife corridors, and lead to the loss of critical habitats. Fragmented lands also face higher wildfire risks, reduced biodiversity, and weakened natural defenses against climate change.
When agencies like the Bureau of Land Management are underfunded, enforcement slows, and risky projects accelerate with minimal oversight.
Public Health Toll: Clean Air and Toxic Exposure
Air pollution from fossil fuels and power plants severely affects public health, increasing rates of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and premature death (American Lung Association).
During Trump’s first term, EPA enforcement hit a 30-year low, and pollution case referrals plummeted (New York Times). The rollback of clean air standards could lead to more asthma, heart disease, and toxic exposure to substances like mercury and PFAS chemicals.
Trump’s support for the fossil fuel industry and efforts to weaken the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would likely intensify in a second term. Weaker pollution standards mean more harmful emissions, especially in vulnerable communities near power plants and fossil fuel projects.
Without stringent environmental regulations, public health risks will surge, exacerbating the burden on healthcare systems and driving up costs.
The Role of Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of climate solutions. It reduces energy consumption, lowers energy bills, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions (International Energy Agency). However, the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken energy efficiency standards would increase energy waste and heighten energy costs.
Rolling back regulations that promote energy-efficient appliances, vehicles, and buildings contradicts global trends toward energy security and sustainability. The federal government must champion energy efficiency by enforcing existing standards, investing in new technologies, and supporting clean energy initiatives.
The EPA’s work to uphold energy efficiency rules is essential. Strong policies can reduce electricity bills, enhance government efficiency, and protect public health. Neglecting these opportunities would deepen the climate crisis and harm the economy.
Energy efficiency provides immediate, cost-effective benefits. Delaying these measures will make the energy transition harder and more expensive in the future.
Market Risks and Long-Term Consequences
Trump’s deregulation may create near-term economic opportunities for fossil fuel industries, but the long-term market risks are significant. Climate-related disasters, including wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, are already impacting real estate values, insurance premiums, and infrastructure resilience (Financial Times).
Financial analysts warn that climate deregulation could contribute to the next financial crisis. Rising energy costs, supply chain disruptions, and increased insurance claims pose systemic risks to the global economy.
Property values are particularly vulnerable. As wildfire frequency and sea-level rise accelerate, homes in high-risk areas may become uninsurable or lose significant value. Companies that fail to adapt to these risks may face stranded assets and declining investor confidence.
The DOGE Distraction: Undermining Institutional Focus
An often-overlooked consequence of the Trump era has been the rise of economic distractions like the DOGE cryptocurrency craze, which not only diverted public attention but also reportedly consumed substantial resources from federal oversight bodies already under pressure.
Federal agencies, including the Federal Reserve and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), were tasked with tracking massive speculative movements in assets like DOGE, pulling critical focus away from long-standing regulatory priorities such as environmental protection, financial system stability, and public safety (Bloomberg).
When resources are stretched thin by speculative bubbles, the intellectual capital of regulatory agencies is effectively diluted. Analysts from the Financial Times suggest that this trend undermines the federal government’s ability to maintain complex, long-term oversight frameworks in areas like climate resilience and sustainability policy enforcement.
The DOGE phenomenon illustrates how transient economic events, when combined with a deregulatory agenda, can erode institutional credibility, divert strategic focus, and undermine public trust in essential governance systems.
The Global Market Impact of U.S. Climate Rollbacks
The United States is one of the largest carbon emitters globally, contributing approximately 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions despite having only 4% of the global population (Our World in Data). This disproportionate carbon footprint has far-reaching implications, not just for domestic policy but for America’s standing on the global stage.
Eroding Global Climate Leadership
When the Trump administration withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, it signaled a retreat from international climate commitments. This action damaged the credibility of the United States in climate diplomacy, creating a vacuum that other countries like China and the European Union quickly moved to fill (The New York Times).
A second Trump term could deepen this leadership crisis. Allies may view the U.S. as an unreliable partner, potentially sidelining American businesses in future green technology collaborations and joint policy frameworks.
Trade and Carbon Border Taxes
The European Union is already moving forward with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a tariff on imports from countries with weaker climate policies. If the U.S. abandons its environmental commitments, American exporters could face higher tariffs, making U.S. products less competitive internationally (European Commission).
Weakening Global Emissions Reduction Efforts
Climate change requires coordinated global action. If one of the largest polluters steps back from its responsibilities, it undermines collective efforts and may embolden other countries to relax their commitments.
Analysts from the International Energy Agency (IEA) stress that without strong U.S. leadership, achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement becomes significantly more difficult. This could delay the energy transition worldwide and worsen the impacts of climate change for all nations.
Financial Market Volatility
Global investors are increasingly integrating climate risks into their portfolios. If U.S. federal policies move backward, investors may shift capital toward regions with more stable, forward-looking climate policies.
Major financial institutions like BlackRock and Vanguard have warned that climate risk is investment risk (BlackRock). A rollback of U.S. environmental protections could drive divestment from U.S.-based fossil fuel projects and companies with high emissions profiles.
Impact on Global Supply Chains
Climate-related policies are becoming key elements of supply chain decision-making. Multinational corporations may prefer to source from countries with robust sustainability practices to meet their own ESG commitments and consumer expectations.
If U.S. policies fall out of alignment with international standards, American suppliers could lose access to major global supply chains, particularly in Europe and Asia, where sustainability metrics are tightly integrated into procurement processes.
Shifting Innovation Centers
With reduced federal investment in renewable energy and green technology, innovation hubs may migrate to Europe and Asia. This shift could erode America’s competitive edge in the global clean tech race, potentially costing the U.S. leadership in emerging markets like electric vehicles, battery storage, and hydrogen energy.
Declining Diplomatic Influence
Climate policy is increasingly intertwined with international diplomacy. Countries that lead on climate often set the agenda for global cooperation. If the U.S. relinquishes this role, its influence in trade negotiations, security alliances, and geopolitical strategy may wane.
This could diminish America’s ability to advocate for its interests in other areas, as climate leadership becomes a key currency in modern diplomacy.
Conclusion Summary
The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle environmental regulations pose a serious threat to sustainability. Weakening the Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and energy efficiency standards would likely increase greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and public health risks.
However, companies can still lead by example. By embracing clean energy, improving energy efficiency, and maintaining transparent ESG reporting, businesses can help counteract policy setbacks and drive sustainability forward.
Proactive businesses can not only shield themselves from regulatory risk but also gain a competitive advantage by demonstrating their environmental and social responsibility.
FAQs
What specific environmental regulations did the Trump administration roll back?
The Trump administration rolled back pollution standards, weakened the Clean Power Plan, reduced protections for public lands, and withdrew from the Paris Agreement (Brookings Institution).
How does air pollution affect public health?
Air pollution from fossil fuels contributes to asthma, heart disease, and premature death. It disproportionately affects communities near power plants and industrial sites (American Lung Association).
Why is the Environmental Protection Agency important?
The EPA enforces environmental regulations that protect air and water quality. Weakening its authority undermines public health protections and climate action (New York Times).
How does energy efficiency help fight climate change?
Energy efficiency reduces energy use, lowers energy bills, and decreases greenhouse gas emissions (International Energy Agency).
What is the role of the National Environmental Policy Act?
NEPA requires federal agencies to consider environmental impacts when approving projects, helping to prevent harm to ecosystems and communities.
How can businesses protect themselves from regulatory shifts?
Businesses can adopt internal sustainability policies, pursue clean energy solutions, and maintain ESG reporting to build resilience against policy changes.
What are the consequences of not investing in clean energy?
Failing to invest in clean energy can lead to higher energy costs, greater reliance on fossil fuels, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
How does ESG reporting attract investors?
Investors are increasingly favoring companies with strong ESG practices. Transparent reporting signals responsible management and long-term viability.
What can SMEs do to support sustainability?
SMEs can implement energy efficiency measures, source renewable energy, and communicate their environmental commitments through ESG reporting.
Will the demand for sustainability decrease under a second Trump administration?
Unlikely. Consumer and investor demand for sustainable practices is growing globally, regardless of U.S. federal policies.
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Dean Emerick is a curator on sustainability issues with ESG The Report, an online resource for SMEs and Investment professionals focusing on ESG principles. Their primary goal is to help middle-market companies automate Impact Reporting with ESG Software. Leveraging the power of AI, machine learning, and AWS to transition to a sustainable business model. Serving clients in the United States, Canada, UK, Europe, and the global community. If you want to get started, don’t forget to Get the Checklist! ✅