On 6 November 2024 Donald Trump was elected as the next President of the United States of America. Many people believe that this would be a disaster for global efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, efforts which are already perilously short of what is needed. For example, the Guardian wrote “Election of a ‘climate denier’ to US presidency poses ‘major threat to the planet’, environmentalists say“. They recall that during his campaign, Trump called climate change “a big hoax”, scorned wind energy and electric cars and vowed to gut environmental rules and the “green new scam” of Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act which aimed to support clean energy projects.

Even in October, the Guardian had warned of “Five ways a Trump presidency would be disastrous for the climate“.

Climate Home News wrote “Trump is expected to cut spending on green energy and boost US production of fossil fuels, while pulling his country out of the Paris climate accord“. They offer reactions from climate experts from around the world some of which offer ways in which Trump’s intentions might be thwarted.

In a statement the US Director of the World Resources Institute, Dan Lashof, wrote “Climate Action Faces a Setback with Trump’s Second Term” in which he tries to look on the positive side, writing “There is no denying that another Trump presidency will stall national efforts to tackle the climate crisis and protect the environment, but most U.S. state, local, and private sector leaders are committed to charging ahead. And you can count on a chorus of world leaders confirming that they won’t turn their back on climate and nature goals.”

The Independent quotes Michael Mann of the University of Pennsylvania as saying “As I stated before the election, a second Trump term, which includes implementation of ‘Project 2025,’ is the end of climate action as we know it, this decade. And if he dismantles our Democracy, as many fear will be the case, and the world’s greatest power, the U.S. becomes — in essence — a petrostate, it’s game over climate action full stop.”

Articles were published by others including the BBC – “Trump victory ‘major setback’ to climate action“, Politico – “Climate world absorbs a reality they’d hoped to avoid: Trump is back” and Science Media Centre – “expert reaction to Trump’s re-election and impact on climate issues“.

And it is not just the future of climate change that people are worried about. For example the Guardian warned of 11 issues that will be under threat from a Trump presidency.