The 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, was elected: Climate Goals Take a Hit, with the EU Leading the Way

In a stunning upset, Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, capping an incredible recovery following his turbulent first term. The former president has overcome the odds to recapture the presidency despite a number of scandals, including his refusal to accept defeat in 2020, a violent uprising at the U.S. Capitol, numerous felony charges, and even two assassination attempts.

Unquestionably, Trump’s win has changed American politics, but it also marks a change in global priorities, especially with regard to climate change. Trump’s reelection, according to the Norwegian environmental organisation Bellona, is a major blow to worldwide efforts to tackle climate change, especially given that the US is a global leader in cutting carbon emissions.

The group cautions that the United States will no longer be a leading factor in reaching the crucial global climate goal of keeping temperature increases to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels during Trump’s presidency.

A key component of the historic international agreement to tackle climate change, the Paris Agreement, is the 1.5°C objective. However, Trump famously pulled the United States out of the deal during his first term, claiming that it was unfair and had negative economic effects.

Bellona’s comment implies that any progress gained by the Biden administration, which aimed to combat climate change through aggressive carbon reduction objectives and renewable energy projects, will probably be reversed by Trump’s actions, even though President Biden rejoined the pact in 2021.

Bellona founder Frederic Hauge said, “The U.S. will no longer be a global leader in the climate fight because of Donald Trump’s election.” In the upcoming years, Europe will need to take a major step in order to accomplish this. The European Union will play a bigger role in combating climate change and advancing technical advancements that lower carbon emissions.

The EU is anticipated to bear a large portion of the burden for pushing global climate action as the US withdraws from its position as a climate leader. The EU’s Green Deal aims to make the continent the first climate-neutral region in the world by 2050, and European governments have already committed to aggressive carbon reduction objectives.

The EU will now be expected to play an even more significant role on the global arena, not just in lowering emissions but also in creating and implementing green technologies, as the US may now renege on its climate pledges.

Additionally, Europe may find itself in a more prominent position in geopolitical debates about energy security, technological advancement, and economic restructuring as a result of this change. The EU’s capacity to take the lead on climate change will be put to the test in a way never seen before due to the growing urgency of the issue.

Europe’s reaction to the developing global climate problem will be closely examined during the next four years. The European Union will have to step up its efforts to safeguard the environment and its own geopolitical interests as the United States may retreat from climate action under Trump’s leadership. Although the task at hand is enormous, it also offers Europe the chance to become the world’s leader in climate.progress.