Trump elected president: US sustainability leaders determined to ‘charge ahead’

Sustainability leaders in the US have received Donald Trump’s presidential election victory with a mixture of concern and determination to continue the fight against climate change.

Trump has now been declared the winner of this year’s election race against Democrat Kamala Harris. This result was feared by most people and organisations working for climate action since the Republican candidate has vowed to dismantle most Biden era climate policies – partly in exchange for US$1 billion of campaign money from fossil fuel companies.

Today, the mood is morose in sustainability circles, but there is hope to be found at the local and industry level. 

“There is no denying that another Trump presidency will stall national efforts to tackle the climate crisis and protect the environment,” said Dan Lashof, U.S. Director, World Resources Institute. “But most U.S. state, local, and private sector leaders are committed to charging ahead. And you can count on a chorus of world leaders confirming that they won’t turn their back on climate and nature goals.”

His determination is echoed in comments shared by Mike Green, Senior Advisor on Climate & Energy, American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), with CSO Futures.

“Today's election result creates uncertainty for the progress made on US Climate policy leadership over the past four years,” he noted, before adding that “ASBC will double down on our ongoing advocacy efforts to defend critical legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other significant climate wins achieved under the Biden Administration”. 

Market demand for sustainability remains strong

While a second Trump presidency will certainly lead to some roll-backs around climate regulations and ESG reporting – and definitely jeopardises the already challenged SEC climate disclosure rule – experts warn that investors and other stakeholders will continue to demand transparency and action.

“Ultimately, we believe that even without a regulatory push, the market is demanding enhanced visibility into sustainability.  The resulting reporting and disclosure may be different than that which the SEC proposed, but the overall arc remains towards an increased focus on sustainability,” explained Bill Harter, principal ESG solutions advisor at Visual Lease.

Focus on the financial benefits of sustainability

In order to maintain existing ‘climate wins’ and ensure meaningful dialogue in a tense political environment, ASBC – which represents over 250,000 American businesses – plans to mobilise its Business for Democracy Initiative, a campaign to engage “robust dialogue” between different business stakeholders, emphasising the economic benefits of sustainability and the importance of maintaining progress on climate action, Green explained.

“By fostering collaboration among businesses, investors, policymakers, and communities, we aim to safeguard these vital initiatives and ensure that the momentum for sustainability and the freedom to make smart business decisions based on environmental, social and governance considerations continues, regardless of the political landscape,” he added.

At WRI, Lashof also believes that Trump won’t be able to stop the energy transition that has gathered pace in the last four years: “Both Republican-led and Democratic-led states are seeing the benefits of wind, solar, and battery manufacturing and deployment thanks to the billions of dollars of investments unleashed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Governors and representatives in Congress on both sides of the aisle have come to recognize that clean energy is a huge moneymaker and a job creator. President Trump will face a bipartisan wall of opposition if he attempts to rip away clean energy incentives now,” he said.

States and cities to show climate leadership

In addition, Trump’s return to the White House isn’t expected to affect local regulations in states like California, which is leading the way around climate disclosures, sustainable aviation fuel and the circular economy.

“International and state-level ESG efforts are likely to continue pushing forward, as seen by new requirements by the EU, California and even the new Taskforce on Inequality and Financial Disclosures (TISFD). This means that organisations must continue to prepare for environmental-related reporting,” warned Harter at Visual Lease.

“One can only hope that Donald Trump will put conspiracy theories to the side and take the decisive action to address the climate crisis that the American people deserve. But I won’t hold my breath, and neither will the global community nor U.S. state and local leaders. We are moving forward,” concluded WRI’s Lashof.