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Finding Glimmers of Climate Hope in the Age of Trump

Emily Hannan

Emily Hannan

Emily is a graduate of Wilfred Laurier University, and Blumenfeld Junior Fellow at Science for Peace.



dsgetch, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
dsgetch, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Donald Trump’s re-election raises urgent concerns for the future of planetary and collective well-being, particularly as civil, political, and environmental unrest intensify around the world. His campaign, built on anti-immigration, mass deportation, and nationalistic rhetoric, completely threatens efforts to address global issues such as climate change and social inequity. This article examines some of the challenges the Trump Administration poses for advancing climate and social justice for the international and North American contexts.


Despite gloomy headlines from the past month, global trends, such as investments in clean and renewable energy, suggest we can be cautiously optimistic about the future beyond the next 4 years. To argue for this optimism, I introduce international and North American initiatives and concepts supporting climate and social justice. There are reasons to think positively beyond the immediate political landscape of Trump’s regime.


Global Challenges:


Trump’s political stance prioritizes profit and power over long-term goals for people and the planet. As the most powerful military and economic nation on the global stage, United States leadership will impact how businesses, institutions, and non-governmental organizations can approach and implement policies on issues such as climate change and social justice. We can already see unpredictable and concerning shifts happening at the government level where Trump has pledged, for example, to scrap Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) positions. In the private sector, large corporations such as Meta and Amazon are scrapping their diversity and equity initiatives due to the legal and political risks associated with maintaining such commitments under Trump’s conservative regime. Similar effects will likely be felt in academia and other research worlds, as Trump’s influence may incentivize major cuts in areas of climate and justice research. On the international stage, these sorts of changes mean the ability for governments and international systems to commit to progressive policies, implement social and environmental protections, and listen to their populations and citizens - who often list climate change as a major concern - is bound to be limited even further by Trump’s regime. 


In terms of international cooperation, Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and/or agreements like the 2015 Paris accord - as he did in 2016 – is concerning for the trajectory of international commitments, and impedes the direction of resources and finances to pressing issues. These withdrawals weaken collective action and permit, if not necessitate, other countries to neglect their priorities and commitments. However, many commitments like Paris are already non-legally binding, and represent only a vague promise or guideline.


  However, we might be cautiously optimistic. The potential for progress in the areas of environment and social justice is seen partially in recent non-binding commitments made at the COP29 meetings in Dubai. Notably, the November meetings saw $300 billion committed by Global North countries to those most vulnerable to climate change impacts, especially the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  Although many representatives of vulnerable nations walked out of the meetings, and many are critical of the recent meetings, global commitments do signal a recognition of the importance of climate adaptation and international cooperation. In fact, although Trump is likely to cut US international climate financing, it might be useful to consider how international commitments and efforts toward climate and social justice, may bolster change in critical areas such as international cooperation, and migration. It is here that the rest of the world, alongside international and UN organizations, will have to, and hopefully will continue to work towards the goals of climate justice.


The North American Context:


Trump’s policies will continue to affect the everyday politics of other countries, especially in North America. For Canada in particular, there exists uncertainty around the future of our political landscape, and relations with the United States. There is concern for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), as well as fears over the well-being of our country, as Trump threatens to hike tariffs to 25% by February 1st, and has even alluded to making Canada the 51st state through economic pressure.


It remains unclear just how impactful Trump’s term will be. However, recent chaos in Canadian politics, with the resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, means Canada faces an uncertain political future as Trump begins his presidency. This is especially so as more conservative voices have come to fill the political void to respond to Trump’s demands with many emphasizing Canada’s autonomy and willingness to respond forcefully. Unfortunately, tense internal and international relations will encourage and perhaps require Canada to focus on stronger border securitization and military spending to appease our Southern neighbour. Although this means governance will likely stray from the important issues of climate change and social justice and progress, it does not require losing sight of what is actually happening in the world, nor investing and spending haphazardly without critical consideration of the impacts.


The effects of Trump’s election are likely to be especially heavy for the US, particularly if and when Trump challenges policies such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA is a landmark climate and infrastructure law that came about in 2022 under the Biden Administration, pledging the investment of up to $1 trillion into clean and renewable energies. 


Although Trump may attempt to do away with such legislation, he will face real challenges when attempting to reduce climate investment and other progressive policies that are actively benefitting the American economy, job markets, and the environment, not to mention Republican pockets. Regarding the IRA, it is unlikely that divestment will be supported across the Republican-controlled American government, particularly as 85% of the money invested has been in Republican areas, benefitting Trump’s supporters immensely. Hindering such flows may not sit well with the Republican base, and it may prove difficult for Trump to undo much of the progress already made, especially considering global trends in climate investment explored in the next section.


  Another area of concern for Trump is the possibility of civil and international discontent. Trump's campaign was premised on economic reform for the American people, while actions and promises made since the election, suggest his priorities may be elsewhere. Threats to purchase Greenland and seize control of the Panama Canal, suggest Trump is more interested in expanding America’s, and his own power, than responding to the economic frustrations of the population.


Hopeful Trends: Follow the Money


Despite the array of challenges presented by Trump’s re-election, there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the state of climate and social policy. This is especially true when thinking about global trends and investments into renewable energy, and innovations in climate adaptation and mitigation.


Experts suggest that Trump’s climate posture is unlikely to affect the trajectories of current investment trends. According to the International Energy Agency, $2 billion was invested into renewable energy in 2024, more than was invested in fossil fuels. The truth is, we have finite resources, and it appears global investments are finally starting to pay attention to the profitability and necessity of clean energy.


Crucially, these trends are not only based on potential profit, which has done an impressive job of moving financial flows toward innovation and research, but also because our collective condition requires new modes of thinking of, consuming, and interacting with nature. One such trend can be seen in the surge of green investments made by large-scale family offices such as those organized by the CREO Syndicate, a climate activism group helping move capital toward climate investments, as discussed by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Régine Clément in “What if We Get it Right?”


Furthermore, Trump’s administration regresses as the rest of the world transitions, albeit painfully slowly, toward more sustainable and hopeful norms. Geopolitical trends suggest that Trump will face hurdles down the line. In the EU, for example, new methane laws might make it so that countries with weak and unsustainable greenhouse gas regulations are alienated or left out of some EU imports and trade relations. This is concerning for the returning President, as Trump’s disregard for climate progress may inevitably harm America’s capacity to compete with other developments in energy and climate innovation. If America is to remain competitive on the global stage, it will be crucial for Trump to attend to the developments of renewable and clean energy, as is happening in other countries. These insights suggest that even though Trump’s presidency will bring challenges like those explored above, there are ways to soften the blow of these pressures that can encourage cautious optimism about sustainability.


The Grass is Greener Beyond the Political Scope:


These trends help us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Acknowledging positive shifts is vital in the context of climate and social justice, because we can start to think more positively about the future beyond the 4-year scope of the Trump Administration’s political landscape. Subnational and non-governmental developments also inspire hope and cautious optimism. These initiatives are working towards a more sustainable, and equitable world, and exist all over the world, often despite political landscapes.


International objectives, like those guiding the NEAR network, work to connect data-sharing resources amongst Global South countries, allowing for resource and knowledge sharing outside the scope of international relations. This initiative seeks to empower local communities and share resources and ownership so that local actors, with local perspectives, can address challenges where they are happening with more sustainable outlooks. Similar global efforts aimed at making accessible resources and knowledge for local and governmental action are happening in the climate space by groups such as Climate TRACE. This initiative tracks greenhouse gas emissions around the world, providing critical data for informed decision-making. Increasing transparency, these types of tools help stakeholders, and those most affected by climate change, to implement productive and effective policies beyond the non-legally-binding commitments of many international agreements.


In Canada the 2024 Indigenous Resilience Report connects diverse Indigenous research activities, knowledges, solutions, and adaptation projects across Canadian Indigenous communities, making accessible maps of this work. Such an initiative provides hope for alternative forms of climate adaptation to take root in more legitimate ways. It is important that Indigenous ways of knowing, using, and relating to nature are foregrounded in pursuit of climate justice around the world.


 Domestic developments at the subnational level in the US are also promising. One key initiative is the America is All In coalition which represents around 5000 organizations from local governments, businesses, cultural institutions, and universities from 50 states committed to continue seeking and advocating for climate justice, and to maintaining vital national and international legislation such as the Paris Agreement. Maintaining support for international agreements is also in the mandate of groups like Climate Mayors, which work to maintain and invest in climate leadership, and global commitments at municipal levels, with some 350 US mayors committed to this stance. Groups like this work to push climate action and justice locally, nationally, and at the international level, reducing the chances that Trump will completely derail international goals and collective action.


Building a New Humanity:


Beyond policies and projects, there are other concepts useful for fostering and protecting a sense of global solidarity. Solidarity is vital for confronting the climate crisis, which threatens all of us. Initiatives like 'The New Humanity Pledge,' born of Ilchi Lee’s “A New Humanity” is one such intervention. Concepts like this enable us to build community and feel a sense of belonging in confronting the climate crisis and its social consequences. Lee’s concept encourages individuals and communities to reimagine their relationships with the environment and each other. Bringing together notions of environmental and social justice enables us to shift perspectives in thinking about tackling issues and curating a more sustainable and peaceful future. When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at can change. Hopeful trends and initiatives such as this enable us to acknowledge and come to terms with the challenges and fears associated with worrying global political trends, while also maintaining some level of optimism.


Conclusion:


With the total impacts of Trump’s presidency unknown, this piece has addressed only a few of the perceived and real challenges for climate and social action at the international and North American levels. This article has found that although setbacks will occur, broader trends reflect a growing investment in renewable energies and climate adaptation measures. While we must remain attentive to the real challenges of the next four years, the trajectories of grassroots and subnational movements offer hope for a sustainable future. As climate change and its impacts intensify, we must think about how we can foster a shared sense of purpose and collective responsibility. To imagine this more collective and collaborative global community, we must think beyond the 4-year politics of Trump and his regime and prepare for and invest in other trends and avenues for the future of the planet.

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