CAN Reaction To US Elections Outcome

In response to the US elections results, Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network, said:

“The climate crisis doesn’t care who is in the White House. If President Trump’s last time in office was anything to go by, there will be chaos and mayhem, but the climate movement will be defiant and continue fighting. The rest of the world will continue working.

Working together to address the climate crisis is in every nation’s self-interest. The impacts of climate know no boundaries and are felt across the world, including in the US. Nearly 200 countries carried on working on climate during the first Trump Presidency - collaborating with many US states and cities - and we fully expect that to carry on.

The US is still in the climate battle. The energy transition is inevitable and accelerating in many countries and across the US, regardless of who is in power. If Trump steps out of the global clean energy race, they will be the losers. First mover countries will be the winners. Trump can withdraw from the Paris Agreement, or the UNFCCC as a whole, at his own peril. The US will lose its ability to influence the decisions that will change the trajectory of the world’s economic development.

While the news that Trump plans to leave the Paris Agreement could cause initial anxiety at COP29, the world’s majority recognises that climate action does not hinge on who is in power in the US, and as we saw before and will see again, other countries will step up if the US reneges on their responsibilities and stands back. But the US will still be held accountable, by their own citizens as well as by governments and people across the world. The Trump administration also cannot think that it can leave the Paris Agreement, and still come to climate meetings and obstruct progress. We will not allow this obstruction even if the US stays in the Paris Agreement. Climate Action Network has been fighting for climate action since 1989, long before the first COP. We will not give up no matter how challenging it becomes; we remain defiant in our fight for climate justice.”

Ife Kilimanjaro, USCAN Executive Director, said: “The US Climate Action Network recognizes the results of the 2024 election. While the path forward may present challenges, we remain undeterred in our pursuit of a just and livable future for all. We stand in unwavering solidarity with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and we are more committed than ever to building, alongside many, a resilient, inclusive movement. The recent election results underscore the urgent need for continued advocacy and action on climate change. We will not be discouraged, but instead will direct our focus and action into a renewed sense of purpose.

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