Trump moves quickly to undo climate policies
In his first week back in office, President Donald Trump issued a wave of executive orders rolling back climate policies, reversing many of his predecessor’s efforts. While some Biden-era policies remain in place for now, Trump is moving swiftly to boost oil and gas production, cut electric vehicle incentives, and pull back from global climate action—decisions likely to face legal challenges.
Scientists warn these moves come as the planet faces record-breaking heat and worsening extreme weather. “These orders will make our air dirtier, make people sicker, and make communities less prepared,” said climate expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.
Here are some of Trump’s most notable moves affecting climate and environmental issues in his first week.
Pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement
Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the United States to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement aimed at global cooperation on climate change.
The agreement requires participating countries to come up with nationally determined contributions to the effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions that are heating the planet. Trump’s move means the federal government won’t be trying to meet emissions reductions goals, nor any financial commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“Walking away from the Paris Agreement won’t protect Americans from climate impacts, but it will hand China and the European Union a competitive edge in the booming clean energy economy and lead to fewer opportunities for American workers,” said Ani Dasgupta, president and CEO of the World Resources Institute.
Declaring a “national energy emergency,” doubling down on oil and gas
Trump declared an energy emergency via executive order amid a promise to “drill, baby, drill.”
The order urges oil and gas expansion including through federal use of eminent domain and the Defense Production Act, which allow the government to use private land and resources to produce goods deemed to be a national necessity.
Experts dispute his description of an “inadequate energy supply” as part of the basis for the order.
“The reality is that the United States is well-supplied with energy in all of its forms,” said Gary Dirks, senior director of the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. Dirks said he thinks the move is actually more targeted at bringing down prices at the pump.
“It’s important to note that the United States right now is the largest producer of oil of any nation in history. And we got to that point under the Biden administration, not because of the Biden administration’s policies necessarily, but because of policies that have been ongoing for four decades,” he said.
Trump weakens wildlife protections to boost drilling
President Donald Trump’s energy emergency order limits the Endangered Species Act’s role in restricting fossil fuel development, a move conservationists warn could speed up species decline. “Weakening it would accelerate the extinction of whales, sea turtles, and other endangered species,” said Gib Brogan of Oceana.
Trump also reopened parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, reversing Biden-era restrictions. But interest in Arctic oil remains low. “A recent lease sale saw no bids,” noted expert Dirks, though he and others worry about the impact on biodiversity.
“The Arctic is a very fragile system,” said Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of global futures at Arizona State. Schlosser added that drilling there would disrupt the land and sea, and that potential contamination or oil spills are more difficult to clean up there due to low temperatures.
Trump moves to roll back EV goals, creating industry uncertainty
President Trump promised to revoke Biden’s goal for electric vehicles (EVs) to make up half of new car sales by 2030 and may push to repeal the $7,500 EV tax credit from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Automakers, caught between shifting U.S. policies and a global transition to EVs, face uncertainty. “Electrification is still the long-term goal, but the timeline is now unclear,” said Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds.
Trump ends federal focus on environmental justice
The Trump administration will no longer consider environmental justice in pollution reviews, reversing efforts to protect vulnerable communities from disproportionate exposure. Critics call it a major setback.
“This rolls back decades of progress,” said Rena Payan of Justice Outside. Local groups will now bear more responsibility for fighting pollution impacts, a challenge they’ve long faced. “We were on an upward swing just weeks ago,” said climate organizer Jade Begay.
