Climate crisis: Reactions trail Trump’s re-election as U.S President
Climate change activists on Wednesday 6 November 2024 have reacted to the reelection of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States of America saying the result could set back the rights of many communities, colleagues, partners and allies in the U.S, and that Trump’s re-election could mean violations of marginalised people.
350.org in a statement, acknowledges the outcome of the democratic process while also expressing concern that the election result could set back the rights of many communities, colleagues, partners and allies in the U.S., and that Trump’s re-election could mean violations of marginalized people.
In the face of this deep disappointment, we draw strength from the collective determination and strength of the climate movement. As the world grapples with runaway climate chaos, widespread cost of living increases, geopolitical instability, and violent conflict, it is time for collective constructive action. The need for strategic interventions and advocacy in the US will be even greater given the Presidency will be handed over to a known climate denier. The climate crisis is unraveling with record global temperatures, against a backdrop of deeply ingrained systems of power that influence which politics and policies move forward. The climate movement remains steadfast in its goal of pursuing climate justice, and putting the interests of people and planet ahead of profit.
Next week (Nov 11) the UN climate conference, COP29, starts in Baku, Azerbaijan and countries from across the world have the opportunity to double down on their climate commitments. This is a time for us to keep faith in multilateralism, for global leaders to step up to the climate challenge, and for the climate movement to hold them accountable. The world needs leadership, accountability, and collaboration from Europe, China, climate-vulnerable nations, and climate allies like Brazil. The good news is that both the money and the blueprints for community-centered, renewable energy solutions exist. It’s time to put them together. The global renewable energy transition is inevitable and doesn’t rely on one country alone.
“Achieving success in global climate politics necessitates having an engaged United States willing to own its share of the responsibility. The next Trump administration will be isolationist and dangerous to climate. But in that darkness, there is some hope that in diminished US power, other nations can step up, and states like California can follow.
We will be fighting to ensure that Trump’s election creates a more resilient climate justice movement, one that realizes we cannot separate decarbonization, migrant rights, human rights, and demilitarization. Working together on climate change is in everyone’s best interest. The energy transition in the US will proceed, with or without Trumpʼs support.” Jeff Ordower, 350.org North America Director.
Trump isn’t in office yet and Joe Biden has the opportunity to increase U.S. climate ambition and finance at COP29. These crucial weeks before Trump is inaugurated in January 2025 will determine the Biden legacy he leaves behind and whether he will be remembered as the leader who tried to limit the Trump administration’s damage and keep the world from careening further into climate chaos. Biden must fulfill the US’s commitment to stop financing fossil fuel projects – pause all new Liquified Natural gas (LNG) exports and increase funding and ambition for renewable energy projects both at home and abroad.
Trump’s re-election cannot be an excuse for other nations to scale back ambition. Those who have the least responsibility and are hit the hardest by the climate crisis are already demonstrating leadership, by offering examples of what a more equitable and healthy world could look like. We must not allow profit-focused nations to replace one broken system with another that suits their own interests. Developing nations can stand together and lead efforts to redirect funds from fossil fuels into renewable projects that benefit their communities and make them more resilient.
In response to the US elections results, Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network, said: “The climate crisis doesn’t care who is in the White House. If President Trump’s last time in office was anything to go by, there will be chaos and mayhem, but the climate movement will be defiant and continue fighting. The rest of the world will continue working.
Working together to address the climate crisis is in every nation’s self-interest. The impacts of climate know no boundaries and are felt across the world, including in the US. Nearly 200 countries carried on working on climate during the first Trump Presidency – collaborating with many US states and cities – and we fully expect that to carry on.
The US is still in the climate battle. The energy transition is inevitable and accelerating in many countries and across the US, regardless of who is in power. If Trump steps out of the global clean energy race, they will be the losers. First mover countries will be the winners. Trump can withdraw from the Paris Agreement, or the UNFCCC as a whole, at his own peril. The US will lose its ability to influence the decisions that will change the trajectory of the world’s economic development.
While the news that Trump plans to leave the Paris Agreement could cause initial anxiety at COP29, the world’s majority recognises that climate action does not hinge on who is in power in the US, and as we saw before and will see again, other countries will step up if the US reneges on their responsibilities and stands back. But the US will still be held accountable, by their own citizens as well as by governments and people across the world. The Trump administration also cannot think that it can leave the Paris Agreement, and still come to climate meetings and obstruct progress. We will not allow this obstruction even if the US stays in the Paris Agreement. Climate Action Network has been fighting for climate action since 1989, long before the first COP. We will not give up no matter how challenging it becomes; we remain defiant in our fight for climate justice.”
Ife Kilimanjaro, USCAN Executive Director, said: “The US Climate Action Network recognizes the results of the 2024 election. While the path forward may present challenges, we remain undeterred in our pursuit of a just and livable future for all. We stand in unwavering solidarity with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and we are more committed than ever to building, alongside many, a resilient, inclusive movement. The recent election results underscore the urgent need for continued advocacy and action on climate change. We will not be discouraged, but instead will direct our focus and action into a renewed sense of purpose.”
