Donald Trump's climate policy has consistently emphasized economic growth, energy independence, and regulatory relief over aggressive emissions reductions or international climate commitments. During his first term from 2017 to 2021, the administration rolled back over 100 environmental regulations, prioritizing fossil fuel production and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. These approaches, framed as achieving "energy dominance," reshaped federal environmental priorities and continue to influence Republican platforms.
Paris climate agreement withdrawal
On June 1, 2017, President Trump blazoned the United States' pullout from the Paris Climate Agreement, arguing it assessed illegal profitable burdens on American workers while allowing countries like China to increase emigrations. The formal pullout passed on November 4, 2020, after the needed one- time notice period. Trump described the accord as a" bad deal" that disadvantaged U.S. competitiveness, claiming it would bring trillions in lost GDP and millions of jobs. The move insulated the U.S. from nearly 200 nations committed to limiting global warming to well below 2 °C. During his 2024 crusade, Trump pledged to withdraw again on" day one" of an alternate term, censuring the Biden administration's 2021 reentry as extravagant.
Rollback of clean power plan and emissions regulations
A foundation of Trump's policy was the repeal of the Obama- era Clean Power Plan( CPP), which aimed to cut carbon emigrations from power shops by 32 below 2005 situations by 2030. In 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency( EPA) under director Andrew Wheeler replaced it with the Affordable Clean Energy( ACE) rule, shifting authority to countries and assessing less strict conditions.
The administration also weakened methane emigration norms for oil painting and gas operations, relaxed vehicle energy effectiveness norms, and rescinded rules on coal ash waste. These changes, affecting over 100 regulations, were projected to save diligence$ 220 billion in compliance costs while adding emigrations by an estimated 1.8 billion tons of CO2- fellow through 2035.
Promotion of fossil fuel development
Trump's" energy dominance" docket expanded oil painting, gas, and coal products on civil lands. Administrative orders opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge( ANWR) for leasing calling deals via the 2017 duty Cuts and Jobs Act and approved the cornerstone XL and Dakota Access Channels. U.S. oil painting products reached record highs of 13.1 million barrels per day by late 2019, reducing significance and lowering energy prices. Coal parcel approvals increased, though request forces continued mine closures. Recent 2025 administrative conduct reinstated fluid mineral leasing, expedited LNG exports, and formed an energy council chaired by reactionary energy advocates Doug Burgum and Chris Wright.
Deregulation initiatives and executive orders
On March 28, 2017, Trump inked Administrative Order 13783, directing the EPA to review and rescind climate- concentrated regulations, praising coal and channels during the signing with miners present. A" 10- for- 1" rule needed agencies to exclude 10 being regulations for every new one, targeting environmental protections. The administration attacked the National Environmental Policy Act( NEPA) with faster permitting for structure, rescinding community impact assessments. In 2025, new orders created a White House energy dominance council, assessed tariffs on clean energy significances, and declared energy extremities to bypass Clean Water and Endangered Species Act reviews.
Impacts on clean energy and renewables
Trump's programs eluded subsidies for renewables, ending duty credits for coastal wind and censuring windmills as" raspberry killers." The 2025" no windmills" station and attacks on the Affectation Reduction Act( IRA) aimed to terminate $369 billion in clean energy investments. Tariffs on solar panels, EVs, and turbines disintegrated force chains from China, Canada, and Mexico. Despite rollbacks, U.S. renewables grew to 22 of electricity by 2025 due to request economics, though civil support waned.
Public lands and conservation policies
Over 2 million acres of public lands were opened for drilling, mining, and logging, reversing Obama-era protections. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke reduced Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by 85% and 50%, respectively, later partially restored by courts. Recent directives under Doug Burgum reinstated fossil leases, weakened endangered species safeguards, and overturned clean energy strategies on public lands.
International and economic dimensions
Withdrawing from Paris signaled skepticism of multilateral climate efforts, prioritizing bilateral deals. Economically, policies boosted GDP by 0.2-0.5% annually through deregulation, per industry analyses, while adding jobs in oil (50,000+) and manufacturing. Critics estimated $2 trillion in climate damages from increased emissions.
Legal challenges and long-term legacy
Over 80% of rollbacks faced lawsuits, with courts reinstating some like methane rules. The Supreme Court's 2022 West Virginia v. EPA decision limited agency climate authority, aligning with Trump priorities. Legacy includes sustained high fossil production and regulatory uncertainty.
Current debates and 2025 developments
In 2025, Trump's second term accelerated deregulations via DOGE recommendations, LNG permitting resumption, and NEPA attacks. The energy emergency declaration fast-tracks fossil projects, while IRA dismantling threatens 300,000 clean jobs.
Unleashing fossil fuels
Trump's climate policy unnaturally centers on unleashing reactionary energy products, slashing environmental regulations, and rejecting transnational climate accords to prioritize U.S. energy independence and profitable vitality. This approach, prominently featured during his first term( 2017- 2021) and aggressively revived in his alternate term starting January 2025, marks a stark departure from global decarbonization trends, situating fossil energies oil painting, natural gas, and coal as central motorists of American substance. Through over 100 nonsupervisory rollbacks, pullout from the Paris Climate Agreement, and" energy dominance" enterprise, these programs have reshaped the U.S. environmental geography, kindling enduring debates between profitable growth lawyers and sustainability proponents.
The policy's foundation remains maximizing domestic reactionary energy birth. Administrative Order 13783( March 28, 2017) directed civil agencies to rescind Obama- period climate regulations, while 2025 conduct under Interior Secretary Doug Burgum restarted civil lands including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge( ANWR) for drilling plants. U.S. oil painting products hit record highs of 13.4 million barrels per day by late 2019 and continued climbing, reducing significance to near- zero and lowering gasoline prices to$ 2.50/ gallon pars.
Coal parcel approvals surged despite request declines, with 12 million acres designated for mining. LNG import outstations mushroomed, making the U.S. the world's largest exporter by 2025, supplying 15% of Europe's gaspost-Ukraine extremity. These measures achieved" energy dominance," cutting the trade deficiency by $130 billion annually and creating 500,000 energy jobs per Labor Department data.