The U.S. election could alter the way the world tries to tackle climate change.
Former President Donald Trump has called climate change a “hoax” and railed against what he’s dubbed the “green new scam,” a catchall for President Joe Biden’s climate policies, most notably the Inflation Reduction Act.
If reelected, Trump has vowed to increase oil and gas production, roll back energy efficiency standards, and claw back unspent money from the Inflation Reduction Act. He has pledged to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and, potentially, the United Nations treaty underpinning it. As president, he sought to slash international climate aid, and he dismantled scores of climate and environment regulations. In a second term, his reversals might come faster and with greater consequences.
POLITICO’s E&E News talked with more than a dozen climate scientists, modelers, analysts and advocates about the steps that would be needed to account for U.S. inaction under a Trump administration. Here are the top 5 things to watch.
