This Wednesday, at a pivotal United Nations climate summit, the global community convened to unveil renewed commitments for slashing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decade. From economic powerhouses like China, Russia, Japan, and Germany to vulnerable small island nations and the world’s most impoverished countries such as Chad and the Central African Republic, and even nations like Venezuela, Syria, and Iran – all were present. Conspicuously absent, however, was the United States.
Few global challenges highlight America’s diplomatic isolation as starkly as climate change. President Trump’s outspoken opposition to renewable energy, voiced emphatically during his United Nations General Assembly address, stands in stark contrast to a worldwide boom in wind and solar farm development. Even major oil-producing nations, like Saudi Arabia, are rapidly expanding their solar energy infrastructure.
Opening the summit on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres declared, “We are at the dawn of a new energy era.”
Central to the U.S. stance is the Trump administration’s foundational argument—a perspective largely rejected by economists, researchers, and international political leaders—that shifting to renewable energy inevitably leads to economic collapse.
On Tuesday, President Trump warned world leaders, stating, “If you don’t get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail.” He further urged nations, particularly in Europe and Asia, to increase their purchases of U.S.-produced oil and natural gas. As the world’s leading producer of these fossil fuels, boosting their export has been a key policy for his administration.
The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change required almost all nations to submit increasingly ambitious plans for emissions reduction every five years. Wednesday’s summit, therefore, felt much like an assembly where leaders presented their somewhat overdue progress reports. While the Biden administration had submitted an updated pledge just before President Trump assumed office, one of Trump’s initial actions was to declare the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
In stark contrast to President Trump’s message, 121 countries at Wednesday’s climate summit were poised to announce commitments to curb global emissions. Their motivation extended beyond merely slowing catastrophic warming; it also recognized that renewable energy is becoming increasingly cost-effective, often outcompeting fossil fuel power generation. Many argued that solar and wind power could foster economic growth while enhancing energy security by reducing reliance on imported coal, oil, and gas.
This sentiment was echoed by Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, who stated at a Monday event, “We need decision-makers everywhere to understand that replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy will not come at the expense of prosperity, but is a prerequisite for future prosperity.”
During his General Assembly remarks on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres unequivocally labeled fossil fuels “a losing bet.”
Early in its tenure, the Trump administration took steps to dismantle incentives for solar and wind development and electric vehicle adoption. Concurrently, it fast-tracked permits for fossil fuel projects, including coal mines and natural gas shipping terminals.
Initially, the Trump administration’s aggressive stance against renewables raised concerns among many world leaders, who feared it might trigger a reversal of global energy transition efforts. However, recent statements indicate a resolve to press forward with clean energy, irrespective of U.S. participation.
According to European Union Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, President Trump’s policies have not deterred the climate ambitions of other nations, including the 27-member E.U. bloc. In a recent New York City interview, Hoekstra remarked, “We’re doing the exact opposite of what the U.S. is doing, which, by the way, I find concerning and problematic.” He further criticized the U.S. as “the world’s most phenomenal geopolitical player, its largest economy, its second largest emitter, is basically checking out.”
The most significant announcement of Wednesday came from Beijing. While China remains the largest emitter of greenhouse gases due to its extensive coal consumption, its formidable solar and wind power industries are not only driving its own shift from fossil fuels but are also globally pivotal, as confirmed by numerous studies.
Via video link on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping informed world leaders of China’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels by 2035, a peak it seems to be approaching this year. He also declared a target to boost China’s non-fossil fuel share to over 30 percent and to increase its installed wind and solar capacity sixfold within the same timeframe.
Though not explicitly naming the United States, President Xi appeared to allude to its absence from the climate discussions. He emphasized that “while some country is acting against it,” referring to the shift towards low-emissions fuels, “the international community should stay focused on the right direction.”
Following China, the European Union presented its preliminary emissions targets. While the E.U. has yet to formalize its pledge, lawmakers have provisionally agreed to reductions between 66% and 72% by 2035, relative to 1990 levels. Hoekstra confirmed that these terms are expected to be finalized before COP30, the international climate talks, commence in Brazil in early November.
However, Europe’s climate goals face a significant challenge in balancing them with demands from the United States. In trade talks with Washington, President Von Der Leyen reportedly committed in August to purchasing $750 billion in American fuels by the end of President Trump’s term. Analysts contend that fulfilling such a commitment, which they deem nearly impossible physically, would inevitably jeopardize Europe’s transition to renewable energy.