{"id":68512,"date":"2025-09-24T23:22:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T23:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/?p=68512"},"modified":"2025-09-30T08:09:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T08:09:59","slug":"trumps-environmental-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/trumps-environmental-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Environmental Policy: Is “Climate Change the Greatest Con Job Ever”?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Donald Trump\u2019s environmental policy<\/strong> trajectory has sent shockwaves through the global climate arena. In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly he dismissed climate change as the biggest con job ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Trump’s pullback is also accelerating a shift, giving Asian nations such as China, Singapore and Malaysia the opportunity to step up as the next generation of climate leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renewable Energy Programmes Cut, Progress Halted: Massive Blow to Environmental Justice and Climate Action<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With Washington retreating from climate cooperation<\/a>, Asia loses a critical partner. Southeast Asian nations in particular could see clean energy investment and adaptation efforts stall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The damage was immediate. In early February, President Trump ordered the shutdown of all USAID projects \u2014 a massive blow to climate action in Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cuts derailed renewable energy auctions in the Philippines that would have added <\/a>5.3 GW of capacity<\/a> between 2024 and 2026, a 65% boost. Other programs \u2014 ranging from Adapt Asia-Pacific\u2019s green technology transfer to Asia Resilient Cities\u2019 low-carbon infrastructure, and the LEAF forest emissions initiative \u2014 were also shelved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll these projects have now been terminated or suspended,\u201d said Railla Puno<\/a>, associate lead of the Climate Change Law and Policy Program at the National University of Singapore\u2019s Centre for International Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ripple effects<\/a> are spreading. Officials in Indonesia<\/a> and Argentina<\/a> have already said they are weighing a withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in response to the US exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Pollution Set Back as Global Emissions Gap Widens<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s deregulatory push has weakened protections against air and water pollution, loosened standards for heavy emitters and slowed US decarbonisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the world\u2019s second-largest emitter, the US accounts for 12.6% of global greenhouse gases<\/a>. Forecasts now project American greenhouse gas emissions will fall only 26\u201335% by 2035<\/a>, down from earlier estimates of 56%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo the extent that the US fails to reduce emissions or increases them, other countries will have to make even greater reductions to slow the climate effects,\u201d said Puno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Fossil Fuels as Cheap as Trump Claims?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reviving coal has become a centrepiece of Trump\u2019s second term. He has exempted coal-fired power plants from emissions rules, expanded mining and boosted exports. His administration has also fast-tracked permits for oil and gas projects and opened more public lands for drilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump calls coal \u201ccheap\u201d and \u201cincredibly efficient\u201d<\/a>. Yet, the economics suggest otherwise. Keeping ageing coal and gas plants alive could cost US consumers between USD 3.1 billion and USD 5.9 billion annually, according to an analysis prepared for Earthjustice<\/a>, the Sierra Club and other groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact has reached Asia. Expanding Montana\u2019s Bull Mountains coal mine is aimed squarely at exports to Japan and South Korea<\/a>, undercutting their clean energy targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, Trump\u2019s trade policies are encouraging Asian economies to buy more US liquefied natural gas \u2014 less polluting than coal, but still a fossil fuel that could slow the region\u2019s transition to renewables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump’s<\/strong> Tariffs and the Sustainability Dilemma<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s sweeping tariffs<\/a> are also redrawing the climate equation. While reshoring manufacturing to the US or Europe \u2014 where environmental standards are higher \u2014 could cut emissions in some sectors, the logistics of rerouting supply chains add new risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf companies attempt to bypass tariffs by rerouting goods via third countries, […] logistics emissions could increase,\u201d said Adam Yee<\/a>, lead consultant at Argon & Co.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cMoving out of China may reduce direct tariff exposure, but it doesn\u2019t eliminate risk. In fact, it can introduce new challenges. Countries like Vietnam and India score lower on the OECD\u2019s Environmental Policy Stringency Index compared to China.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even metals are caught in the crossfire. According to sustainability intelligence platform Altruistiq, tariffs on steel and aluminium \u2014 both recyclable materials \u2014 could drive businesses back toward plastic packaging<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs steel and aluminium become more expensive, we may see a concerning surge in plastic consumption as businesses seek cheaper packaging alternatives,\u201d Altruistiq noted. \u201cThis tariff-induced shift could significantly set back progress on plastic reduction goals and circular economy initiatives across multiple industries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next Climate Leaders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the US leadership fading, new opportunities are opening for Asia to step forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithin this crisis lies an unprecedented opportunity for ASEAN to emerge as a global leader in climate action,\u201d said Nirinder Singh Johl<\/a>, founder and CEO of Malaysia-based sustainability firm Asia Carbonx Change. \u201cThe region has the resources, expertise and diplomatic finesse to lead the global climate fight, but political will and public support are crucial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has already accelerated renewable deployment<\/a> and expanded clean technology exports, helping to lower costs globally. In 2024, about 41% of its electricity generation<\/a> came from low-carbon sources, including hydropower, wind, solar and nuclear power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChina, in a break from tradition, released information during COP 29 on its climate financing efforts,\u201d said Puno. \u201cChina also has exponentially increased production of green energy equipment, driving down the costs of the green energy transition significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the country\u2019s academic community has taken on a bigger role. \u201cChinese scientists are increasingly providing essential services to global assessments of climate change, such as the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),\u201d said Erik Baark<\/a>, visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cThis international position of Chinese climate change research will likely be strengthened while the Trump Administration\u2019s attacks on the US academic community intensify and federal funding for research projects dry up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, Singapore is carving out a role<\/a> as a green finance hub. Its state-owned investor Temasek reported nearly USD 46 billion<\/a> in sustainability-linked investments in 2025, while Clime Capital recently launched a facility<\/a> to channel funds into Southeast Asian clean energy projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malaysia, assuming ASEAN\u2019s chairmanship this year<\/a>, is leveraging its expertise in renewable energy, biofuels, sustainable palm oil and forest management. Johl points to the country\u2019s Large Scale Solar programme as proof that ambitious climate action can drive growth and jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs one of ASEAN\u2019s most developed economies, Malaysia must act as a catalyst in regional transformation,\u201d Johl said. \u201cRecent collaborations, like the Malaysia-Singapore memorandum of understanding on carbon trading under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, signify growing regional cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pivotal Moment Ahead for Asia\u2019s Clean Energy Future<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s return to the White House has clearly thrown global climate cooperation into disarray. But in Asia, the vacuum left by US disengagement is spurring new momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China, Singapore and Malaysia are already positioning themselves as alternative leaders, while ASEAN faces the challenge \u2014 and opportunity \u2014 of building a unified climate agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the region, America\u2019s retreat is no longer just distant political theatre. As Johl put it, it\u2019s \u201ca clarion call for decisive regional leadership in addressing mounting climate challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While Trump’s climate policy rollbacks have destabilised global efforts, they are also accelerating a power shift, paving the way for Asian nations to emerge as the world’s new climate leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":64946,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,525],"tags":[],"hashtags":[],"class_list":["post-68512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-geopolitics"],"acf":{"custom_author_name":"","article_pdf_file":false,"poll_vote":0,"manage_the_date":"global","show_in_lastest_from_the_region":"0","order":"","short_desc":"While Trump's climate policy rollbacks have destabilised global efforts, they are also accelerating a power shift, paving the way for Asian nations to emerge as the world's new climate leaders."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68512"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68731,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68512\/revisions\/68731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68512"},{"taxonomy":"hashtags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtags?post=68512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}