What leaders said on Trump's win, implications for global climate policy

Climate leaders have called for global cooperation and strong progress in the clean energy transition.

This is even as they react to the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president of the United States.

They have called for global climate cooperation and the strong progress of the clean energy transition.

The US election result comes as the UN Climate Talks, COP29, are due to get underway in Baku on November 11, 2024.

Climate leaders have come out to express their opinion on Trump's win and the relation to his pledges during the campaign period.

Climate Action Network executive director Tasneem Essop said leaders will be held accountable by their citizens in case of climate inaction.

“COP29 nor international climate policy do not hinge on who is in power in the US, and as we saw before and will see again, other countries will step up if the US reneges on their responsibilities and stands back. They will be held accountable by their citizens for any inaction on climate change.”

European Climate Foundation CEO Laurence Tubiana said, "The US election result is a setback for global climate action, but the Paris Agreement has proven resilient and is stronger than any single country’s policies. The context today is very different to 2016. There is powerful economic momentum behind the global transition, which the US has led and gained from, but now risks forfeiting," she said.

"The devastating toll of recent hurricanes was a grim reminder that all Americans are affected by worsening climate change. America is All In accounts for 65 per cent of the population and 68 per cent of GDP. This coalition and other subnational actors worldwide deserve a seat at the global table."

Germany State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action Jennifer Morgan added that the climate sector will work with the next US administration to strengthen the international rules-based order and deal with shared security challenges, including the climate crisis.

"For Germany and the EU, the transition to climate neutrality is a cornerstone of our future competitiveness. We will work with all partners towards a level playing field in the race for green industries. We will continue to implement our climate laws and work with international partners across all levels of government, civil society, and the private sector on the swift and full implementation of the Paris Agreement.”

Former Kenyan Prime Minister and candidate for Chair of the Africa Union Commission Raila Odinga said the actions of the US on climate change at home and globally will shape how Africa, a continent that is least responsible for the climate crisis yet suffering most from climate impacts,.

"Climate negotiations at COP29 in Baku, coming on the back of US elections, is a perfect opportunity for the US to step up and be a global steward of the planet. At COP29, the US must lead from the front and support the delivery of ambitious grant-based and highly concessional climate finance to the trillions of dollars required to meet the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries and compensate for losses of damages in a timely and transparent manner," Raila said.

CEO Climate Analytics and former IPCC author Bill Hare said "The election of a climate denier to the US Presidency is extremely dangerous for the world. We are already seeing extreme damages, loss of life around the globe due to human-induced warming 1.3°C," Hare said.

"President Trump will not be above the laws of physics and nor will the country that he leads. If Trump follows through with his threat to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the biggest loser will be the United States. We have been there before - the US withdrawal in the first Trump presidency did not cause the Agreement to collapse, as some pundits predicted."

Founding director of the Enzi Ijayo- Africa Initiative, Charles Wanguhu, said that as the biggest oil producer in the world, the US bears a special obligation to support ambitious international climate targets.

"Collective global actions underscore its importance. The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is the most important component, which merits greater focus. The US election result mustn't have a detrimental effect on the future of climate concerns and the discussions in Baku."