A second Donald Trump presidency won’t halt the sustainability transition that has gained momentum in recent years, given the need to maintain U.S. competitiveness globally, the World Resources Institute (WRI) has said.
Dan Lashof, US director of WRI, was commenting following Donald Trump and JD Vance’s victory in the 2024 US presidential election, which was confirmed in the early hours of 6 November. In addition, Republicans won the majority in the U.S. Senate while control of the U.S. House of Representatives is yet to be determined.
‘Committed to charting ahead’
“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,” Lashof commented. “And you can count on a chorus of world leaders confirming that they won’t turn their back on climate and nature goals.
“Donald Trump heading back to the White House won’t be a death knell to the clean energy transition that has rapidly picked up pace these last four years. Both Republican-led and Democratic-led states are seeing the benefits of wind, solar, and battery manufacturing and deployment thanks to the billions of dollars of investments unleashed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Governors and representatives in Congress on both sides of the aisle have come to recognise that clean energy is a huge moneymaker and a job creator. President Trump will face a bipartisan wall of opposition if he attempts to rip away clean energy incentives now.”
Impact from climate change
American citizens have been reeling from numerous climate-fuelled disasters in recent years – including the recent Hurricane Milton in Florida – meaning that “turning a blind eye” to the damage that the climate crisis is causing would be “irresponsible and immoral”, Lashof added.
“Polls show most Americans want the federal government to take action to address climate change and protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. President Trump has a responsibility to heed their calls with not just rhetoric, but real policies that improve Americans’ lives,” he said, noting that transformations already underway in the market, including the electrification of buildings and transportation, are cutting costs and improving efficiency in both urban and rural areas.
“While President Trump may retreat, leaders from states, cities, businesses and elsewhere will eagerly step into the breach to take forward ambitious climate action,” said Lashof. “Thanks to the generous tax incentives and investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, subnational actors have more resources than ever to cut emissions, expand clean energy and electric transportation and address environmental injustices.
“There are important bipartisan opportunities to advance climate action that must be seized upon. For instance, leaders on both sides of the aisle support climate-smart trade policies and harnessing the power of geothermal energy. And there is bipartisan and business support for decarbonising heavy industry and investing in international supply chains to keep the U.S. competitive and secure. These actions would be a win for U.S. manufacturing, national security and the climate.”
Global competitiveness
At the same time, in seeking to ‘Make America Great Again’, as Trump’s oft-used mantra puts it, Trump will be unlikely to cede advantage to China, which has invested heavily in wind, solar and battery manufacturing at home, and supply chains and markets abroad.
“Global support for addressing the climate crisis has grown significantly since Donald Trump first took office,” said Lashof. “Country leaders know that reducing emissions and supercharging clean energy growth strengthens their economies and competitiveness.
“If Donald Trump pulls out of the Paris Agreement again, it would simply diminish the United States’ influence and give other countries a leg up in the booming clean energy economy.
“One can only hope that Donald Trump will put conspiracy theories to the side and take the decisive action to address the climate crisis that the American people deserve. But I won’t hold my breath, and neither will the global community nor U.S. state and local leaders. We are moving forward.” Read more here.
