The global energy transition drive was turned on its head on Monday, as one of its biggest contributors and advocates – the US, under newly-installed president Donald Trump – turned its back on its clean-energy policies.
The move is not new. In Trump’s last stint as president, 2017-2021, he also reversed the previous administration’s clean-energy plans.
But the news has earned mixed responses from several local environmentalists and entities, who said while it is still early days, the US president’s plans will have a regional and global effect.
Among dozens of executive orders Trump signed on January 20, one ordered that the US withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, reverse electric-vehicle (EV) mandates, ease regulations on oil and gas production, and, in declaring a national energy emergency, called for oil producers to “drill, baby, drill” in Alaska.
These policies are a complete flip from those of less than a year ago, when the Biden administration’s New Green Deal and EV mandates sought to reduce the country’s carbon footprint by close to 50 per cent.
The New Green Deal also had some benefits to the region, as it focused on not only reducing the US’s carbon footprint, but supporting other countries, especially small island developing states such as TT, in their transitions.
Last December, the Biden administration announced a US$3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund, the largest international fund for supporting developing countries tackling climate change.
But when Business Day went to the US government’s website State.gov, the announcement had been removed.
“State.gov has been refreshed as of January 20 (the date Trump was inaugurated). If your search does not return to the content you expected, please check 2021-2025.state.gov for the former administration’s content.”
The announcement was still on the website of the World Resources Institute, an organisation that helps countries protect, restore and stabilise the environment. It shared the announcement as news coming out of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.
Kublalsingh: It makes no difference
Environmentalist Wayne Kublalsingh didn’t see a problem with the policies and plans of the new US president.
Asked his thoughts on the effect of Trump’s new energy policies, he said they would make no difference.
[caption id="attachment_1134370" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Environmentalist Wayne Kublalsingh -[/caption]
“The Paris Agreement is a weak agreement. It has been watered down, because none of the participating countries could come up with a full resolution.”
He added that it was voluntary. Countries are not reprimanded, nor do they face any legal action if they do not adhere to the agreement, for which Kublalsingh said the US was notorious.
“The US has been part of these protocols since the 70s or 80s, and they have never obeyed them.”
He said for the US, it is a good move economically, being US$36 trillion in debt, facing significant inflation challenges and with its military forces stretched thin by occupy
