Environmentalists fear Trump's US election victory will adversely impact climate action

New Delhi: Donald Trump’s return to the White House may not augur well for climate action at a time when the earth is increasingly becoming warmer every year due to human actions, environmentalists say ahead of the next week’s UN climate conference where creation of a new global financial mechanism to fund such actions will be on the agenda.

During his campaign, Trump – a known climate sceptic under whose presidency the US withdrew from the Paris climate accord – said he would encourage more gas and oil production in the USA.

“There is no denying that another Trump presidency will stall national efforts to tackle the climate crisis and protect the environment," Dan Lashof, US director of the World Resources Institute, said in a statement. The WRI is a non-profit set up by the MacArthur Foundation in the US in 1982.

Lashof, however, hoped that leaders in most of the US states and in the private sector would stick to their commitments on climate action.

During his campaign, the Republican leader dismissed climate change threats as “hoax”, dismissed scientific consensus on climate change and asserted “who the hell cares” when it comes to sea level rise.

One of his key campaign slogans was ‘Drill Baby, Drill” encouraging the fossil fuel industry to enhance their production.

“Turning a blind eye to the climate crisis that is costing billions of dollars in damage and killing hundreds of people would be irresponsible and immoral,” Lashof said.

“Polls show most Americans want the federal government to take action to address climate change and protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. President Trump has a responsibility to heed their calls with not just rhetoric, but real policies that improve Americans' lives.”

Sunita Narain, the director general of Delhi-based think tank centre for science and environment, said that Trump winning the White House race would be a big setback for global climate efforts, especially if he rolls back critical domestic policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

A critical legislation, the IRA enhanced or created more than 20 tax incentives for clean energy and manufacturing. It aims for a significant reduction in US greenhouse gas emission by 2030.

"The IRA is crucial because the US remains the single-largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases and the second-largest emitter annually. It is also the world's top producer and exporter of oil and gas, generating around 13 million barrels daily. The IRA (and its role in achieving 50 per cent emissions reduction by 2030, below 2005 levels) served as a significant signal to the world that the US could lead on climate action," Narain said.