Trump's "climate turnaround"

Paris climate agreement: Trump prepares exit

Donald Trump is considered a climate change sceptic.

(Bild: AP, stock.adobe.com, krone.at-Grafik)

Donald Trump, the US President-elect, is forging plans for a radical reorientation of US environmental policy. These include: withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is no longer to be based in Washington in future and oil and mining are to be carried out in nature reserves.

As the New York Times reports, Trump is also expected to reauthorize new terminals for the export of natural gas and repeal an exemption that allows California and other states to introduce stricter pollution standards.

"Deregulation professionals"
At Trump's side are two proven "deregulation pros" from his first term in office: lawyer David Bernhardt, who was Secretary of the Interior from 2019 to 2021 in Trump's first term, and lawyer Andrew Wheeler, Administrator of the EPA under Trump from 2018 to 2021. The New York Times described both as "Washington insiders" with years of experience in dismantling government environmental protection measures.

The annual World Climate Conference begins on Monday, this time taking place in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. The USA is one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the world. In his first term of office (2017-21), Trump had already terminated the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times. Under his successor Joe Biden, however, the USA rejoined.

Environmental protection is not on Trump's agenda.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Alex Brandon)

Mining in protected areas
According to the report, Trump wants to immediately redraw the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, two protected areas in the south of the US state of Utah. The aim is to reopen thousands of hectares of land sacred to indigenous peoples to mining and other projects. Biden had reversed a corresponding measure from Trump's first term in office.

According to the New York Times, the possible relocation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) goes hand in hand with Trump's efforts to move jobs in the federal administration from unloved Washington to places that - according to Trump - are "full of patriots who love America".

The newspaper referred to a video from Trump's election campaign to dismantle the so-called "deep state". "Deep state" is a political buzzword that refers to alleged invisible power structures within a state.

Trump cancels the Paris climate agreement.

(Bild: dpa-Zentralbild/Patrick Pleul)

"Energy czar"
Doug Burgum, a Republican governor of North Dakota, who briefly threw his hat into the race in the primaries for the presidential candidacy before throwing his support behind Trump, could well take on the post of "energy czar" in a future Trump administration. During the election campaign, he served as a liaison between Trump and the oil billionaires who supported him. Another possible candidate is Trump's former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

Exit also during Trump's first term in office
Trump had already withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement during his presidency from 2017 to 2021.