Deterioration of Trump's Legacy: More Drastic Than Anticipated
The United States, as the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China, wields significant global influence. However, recent decisions made by the current administration have raised concerns about their impact on the environment and the economy.
According to an analyst, the decisions of the Trump administration are not driven by economic interest but by an ideology that benefits a small number in the U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered NASA to end its program of measuring CO2 in the atmosphere, and has also withdrawn the country from the Paris Agreement once again upon his return to power.
Some Republican politicians continue to deny the existence of climate change, a stance that has been criticised by climate scientists such as Zeke Hausfather from the University of California, Berkeley. The Trump administration has been accused of cherry-picking information from reports produced by Hausfather to support their own conclusions and justify the rollback of environmental measures.
The effects of these decisions are not limited to the U.S. The Trump administration is considering destroying a satellite that measures CO concentrations worldwide, which would deprive scientists of crucial data. The administration is also discussing restricting access to sea ice data provided by the military, preventing scientists from using it.
Significant budget cuts are affecting the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a leading agency in climate research. The administration aims to reduce access to data for scientists studying climate change, a move that has been criticised by Caroline Brouillette, general director of Climate Action Network Canada. Brouillette questions how countries will demonstrate at COP30 that they still support the Paris Agreement, given the Trump administration's policies.
The effects of these decisions will be felt by American citizens, with impacts on air quality, access to data, and economic impacts. Brouillette shares the opinion that the biggest losers from these policies are first and foremost Americans. The level of climate ambitions at COP30 will be a question, given the U.S.'s stance on climate change.
Promising signs have been seen from China, and there was a diplomatic meeting between the European Union and China, which are now the two dominant forces in the global fight against climate change. The countries confirmed to participate at COP30 and likely to show support for the Paris Agreement include Egypt, Spain, Portugal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Norway; however, only 47 out of the 196 expected countries have confirmed their participation so far.
The current concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is 425.49 parts per million, a figure that underscores the urgency of global action on climate change. The future of climate policy under the Trump administration remains uncertain, but the impacts of these decisions will be felt worldwide.
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