Quo Vadis U.S. Climate and Energy Policy? Developments under Trump 2.0

Joe Biden gave momentum to national and international climate policy and created a milestone with the first US climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act. Donald Trump is now turning his back on climate protection in his second term of office. He is supporting fossil fuels with his policies, declaring war on renewable energies and scrapping climate protection targets and the major parts of the IRA. His new administration, staffed with loyal supporters, is implementing his motto ‘Drill baby, drill’ and reducing (climate) research budgets to a minimum. At the foreign policy level, Trump is withdrawing from international commitments such as the Paris Climate Agreement and stopping funding for climate protection and development aid. His concept of US energy dominance is underpinned by threatening gestures and tariffs.