Experts fear disruptive shift in climate policy after red win
Times of India | 7 November 2024
12 Kolkata: Experts are divided on Donald Trump's climate stance in his upcoming term and fear his return to power may cast a shadow on COP29 climate summit, slated for next week in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The summit will focus on establishing a finance corpus for adaptation, mitigation and addressing climate change-related losses and damages. It is being viewed by many as a critical moment for climate action, especially for vulnerable regions, like Bengal and other parts of India, Bengal being high on the ladder of climate vulnerability, with a history of severe climate impacts—cyclones, thunderstorms, sea-level rise and flood risk. Bengal is hoping for climate funding to mitigate climate risks.
Global climate activists expressed concerns about Trump's renewed presidency, which they said, might signal a potentially disruptive shift in climate policy. The US was expected to play a leading role in climate financing, contributing significantly to a proposed $5 trillion climate fund for 2025 to 2030. Harjeet Singh, global engagement director for Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said, "Trump's win is a blow to global climate justice and an alarming escalation of climate risk... His push to ramp up fossil fuel production, disregard for international agreements and refusal to provide climate finance will deepen the crisis."
India remains committed to reducing carbon footprint while fostering economic growth but the renewed US stance could complicate the global financial and strategic landscape. Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of Council on Energy, Environment, and Water, said, "Proposed trade barriers will need navigation so that Indian industries, especially for clean tech, do not suffer." He noted India exported 90% of its solar modules to the US.
Manjeev Puri, distinguished fellow at TERI, expressed cautious optimism, saying Trump's commitment to tech innovation might offer some hope for climate action. But Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, said, "Trump's past actions give no confidence he will give the right attention the climate emergency requires."