what the return of Donald Trump could change for the climate

“Climate change doesn’t really care who is in charge of the United States.” “Donald Trump or not, countries will continue to move forward”. In recent weeks, experts and negotiators have continued to try to reassure themselves, insisting that global climate negotiations will continue with equal vigor regardless of the outcome of the American presidential election. But less than a week before COP29 which starts next Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, the victory of the Republican at the head of the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet is clearly not a good signal.

During his first term, in 2017, Donald Trump simply withdrew his country from the Paris agreement which aims to contain warming well below 2°C and to continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C . The Republican promised that he would do it again, after the cancellation of this decision by Joe Biden. If so, the procedure…