In just one year since his return to the White House in January 2025, Donald Trump has pushed more than 315 measures to dismantle U.S. climate policy and favor fossil fuels.
The tracker from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (Columbia University) documents each of these actions, which include the repeal of environmental regulations, withdrawal from international agreements, and limitation of climate science.
Among the most recent decisions is the revocation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)‘s authority to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions in key sectors such as energy, transportation, and industry. Emission standards for vehicles in place since 2012 have also been eliminated.
The Fossil Strategy
The administration’s stated goal is to “restore American energy dominance” based on oil, gas, and coal, according to the National Security Strategy published in 2025. The fossil sector, a major financier of Trump’s campaign, holds key positions in the Government: his Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, was an executive at a fracking company.
The measures include:
- Banning offshore wind energy projects.
- Facilitating oil and gas extraction.
- Reducing regulatory hurdles for coal.
- Limiting scientific agencies’ collaboration with the IPCC.
Reactions and Opposition
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced lawsuits against the repeal of EPA standards, calling it an illegal action. Former Secretary of State John Kerry defined it as an “anti-American decision.”
Internationally, Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and has pressured other countries to reduce their commitment to renewables. At the Davos Forum, he urged the EU and the UK to “move past” clean energy and harshly criticized wind turbines.
Global Context
While the U.S. regresses, China leads the energy transition, producing 80% of the world’s solar panels, 70% of wind turbines, and 70% of lithium batteries. The International Energy Agency (IEA) noted in its 2025 report that renewables, especially photovoltaic solar, are growing faster than any other energy source.
The journal Science criticized that the U.S. is not benefiting from its own innovations in renewables, which China now perfects and manufactures.
Impact on Emissions
The first year of Trump’s second term ended with a 2.4% increase in greenhouse gas emissions, according to Rhodium Group. Coal saw a 13% year-on-year increase, driven by data center demand and rising gas prices. However, solar energy covered much of the demand increase in 2025, growing more than fossil fuels, according to Ember.
Trump’s climate policy marks an unprecedented setback in the U.S., with over 300 measures favoring fossil fuels and weakening international cooperation. The contrast with the global advance of renewables presents a scenario of tension: will democratic states and courts be able to halt this offensive, or will the fossil strategy prevail in the world’s leading economic power?
