Trump’s executive order on climate will cede American leadership internationally and scores a political win. But reversing all Obama’s work will require big wins in court.
As Donald Trump promises to pull America out of the Paris climate agreement, we need concerted civil action to turn our atmosphere into a public trust.
As Australia looks to expand the coal industry at home, it’s also ramping up regional diplomacy aimed at avoiding condemnation by those at the front line of climate change.
Global emissions from fossil fuels have stalled. That puts us in the right place to keep warming below 2°C, but there’s plenty of work still to be done.
The Global Trends report provides a useful starting point to reflect on what’s in store for Africa over the next five years. And how the continent should think about responding to its challenges.
The 1992 and 1993 cabinet papers confirm that Australia was a reluctant player in international discussions about climate change and environmental issues under Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Magali Dreyfus, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)
From citizens who sit on the boards of energy companies to neighbourhoods that help fund local wind farms, community action is critical to the environmental movement.
While Trump’s more extreme campaign promises may not eventuate, substantive changes in how the US engages with the world on environmental, and many other, issues are likely.
Ultra-low interest rates have made low-carbon projects like windmill farms more attractive than coal power plants. That will begin to change as the central bank lifts rates, hurting the green economy.
Bill Hare, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Niklas Höhne, Wageningen University
Phasing out greenhouse gas emissions entirely by mid-century is possible, and promising trends are emerging. But the next five to ten years will be the real test of whether we can make that happen.
If Donald Trump turns away from climate action as George W. Bush did, Europe and China can respond by forming an alliance that will turn the United States from a climate leader into a follower.
The latest climate summit began the long slog towards putting the Paris Agreement into action. But it generated more questions than answers, particularly on how to handle a Trump-led United States.
Trump has promised to abolish Obama’s Clean Power Plan and back out of the Paris climate accord. But business could become a key firewall that won’t let Obama’s sustainability legacy die.