Global Climate Change Network GSCC Webinar
"Trump Administration Will Not Fund Climate Policy"
Concerns have been raised by climate and environmental scholars that if former President Donald Trump wins the upcoming presidential election, global efforts to address the climate crisis could be disrupted. Experts warned that under a Trump administration, funding for climate policies would become difficult, and various international agreements could collapse. However, they also predicted that policies aligned with economic nationalism, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), would continue regardless of the election outcome.
The Global Climate Change Network (GSCC) held a webinar on the 27th (local time) titled "U.S. Presidential Election and Climate Response," inviting environmental experts. Speakers included Bentley Allen, Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University; Francis Colon, Senior Director of International Climate at the Center for American Progress; and Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, among other climate and environmental scholars.
The experts criticized that climate and environmental policies would collapse if the Trump administration took office. Associate Professor Allen, while explaining the relationship between the U.S. presidential election results and climate policy, stated, "I hope these discussions proceed in the right direction," and pointed out, "Success depends on working with the Kamala Harris administration rather than the Trump administration, which is going to kill the climate crisis discourse." Allen is one of the leading climate scholars and serves as the director of the Net Zero Industry Policy Research Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
There were also forecasts that funding for climate policies would be insufficient under a Trump administration. CEO Tubiana explained, "If Trump is elected, the U.S. will not provide public funds to prevent the climate crisis," adding, "It will also be difficult to see encouragement of private sector investment." She further emphasized, "We must understand that the likelihood of the U.S. fulfilling its climate policy commitments made to the international community is very low."
Director Colon criticized former President Trump and his associates for denying the climate crisis. He said, "Trump's climate policy starts with leaving the Arctic," and condemned, "Politicians obstructing climate crisis solutions are discussing how the U.S. will withdraw from UN agreements related to climate change."
However, the speakers analyzed that even if a Trump administration is established, the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) would be maintained. The IRA, enacted in August 2022, is the largest climate bill in U.S. history. Its core is to restructure supply chains for eco-friendly industries such as electric vehicles, batteries, and energy around the U.S., and to expand investments in renewable energy. Although it is an environmental regulation, it is also a policy favorable to protecting American companies, so it is considered likely that former President Trump would support it.
CEO Tubiana argued, "Even if Trump is elected, the possibility of overturning the IRA is low," adding, "Republicans basically support tax credits for American clean energy manufacturers and believe that policies providing economic benefits to the U.S. should not be rolled back." Associate Professor Allen also said, "The IRA was a late but necessary intervention in the global order moving toward a new energy system," and added, "The transition driven by the IRA will continue for 20 to 30 years regardless of specific countries or events."
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