Concerns Over ESG? What the New Trump Administration Could Mean for the Future of Climate Policy

As environmental concerns climb the ranks of global priorities, one of the key factors under careful observation is how governments will approach addressing the challenge of climate change within their borders. However, this observation does not always lead to positive outcomes. In some cases, governments are seen to be failing to sustain progression towards climate change prevention, with Trump serving as a notable example. 

In this context, the growing significance of ESG frameworks for example, has emerged as a method of simultaneously holding governments and businesses accountable for the environmental impacts they may have. As international attention shifts towards sustainability, ESG has become a fundamental measure, guiding governmental and business policies and their consequent action in the battle against climate change. Yet, whilst some nations are embracing these standards, others are yet to be so accepting. In some cases, such necessary changes are often resisted.

“Is the climate changing because of human activity?”

“In my opinion, you have a thing called weather, and you go up and you go down.”

-Donald Trump 2022, Fox Business Interview with Stuart Varney

While Trump has not outright denied the existence of climate change in recent years, he has consistently expressed scepticism towards efforts to address it. Prior to Trump’s victory for example, a Carbon Brief analysis showed if he were to win the November 2024 election, US emissions could rise by an extra 4 billion tonnes by 2023 versus Biden’s. Therefore, it is easy to understand why there is growing concern about the potential environmental impact of a new Trump administration in 2025.

As of March 2025, this concern can arguably be considered justified. Before his second term, he was already recognised for rolling back over 100 environmental regulations and policies during his first term. This pattern has already been seen to be repeating itself, as within the first three months of his second presidency, Trump has wasted no time taking action, swiftly signing a series of anti-ESG executive orders.

ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance – is a framework of standards used to assess a business’s impact on society and the environment, as well as its transparency. The environmental criteria assess a company’s environmental care and the overall structure has become crucial for the commercial world, as socially conscious investors are using it to elevate potential business investments. Therefore, ESG is crucial, as the framework it offers, provides a mechanism enabling businesses to effectively address climate change. The significance of Trump’s anti-ESG executive orders is thus reinforced. 

Given Trumps pre-election rhetoric, it consequently came as little surprise when he moved quickly to challenge ESG policies after his January inauguration. One of these ‘moves’ came in the form of his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and related United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) pacts. This is not the first time he has taken such action, but this move comes in the wake of Biden’s re-entry in 2021.

The Unleashing American Energy is another recent executive order under the new Trump administration, likely to have potentially detrimental environmental implications. It undermines climate action by prioritising fossil fuel development and halting funding for clean energy initiatives, thereby hindering efforts to reduce emissions and transition to renewable energy.

When combined with his appointment of Chris Wright, a fossil fuel advocate and founder of the fracking company Liberty Energy, as Energy Secretary under his new government to boost oil and gas production, it become clear that Trump is not prioritising climate change prevention in his policy strategy. Therefore, this pro-fossil fuel administration is anticipated to cause even greater threats to the planet and those communities hit the hardest by the climate crisis.

The most vulnerable communities include indigenous people, land defenders, and low-income groups, already currently suffering as a result of extreme weather and environmental degradation. If fossil fuel extraction continues to expand under Trump as well as the rollback of environmental protections, both of which are anticipated, these already marginalised communities are likely to face greater risks. Such risks posed may include loss of land and increased exposure to climate disasters. When coupled with the lack of sufficient support for adaption against these anticipated risks, places these communities in a position to face even more severe threats.

What effect, if any, will this have on the UK?

Despite this being a primary issue in US climate policy, across the Atlantic in the UK, we are not necessarily immune to the impact of Trump’s recent climate actions. Consistent demographic shifts, coupled with growing geopolitical tensions, highlight the need for a more sophisticated and deeper international collaboration in order to deal with the issue of climate change. Given the US’s significant contribution to climate change due to its size, without their participation in this alliance, the impact of our efforts in the UK are likely to be considerably diminished. 

Ultimately, it is undeniable the new Trump administration will have significant environmental impacts, particularly within the US, but also with far-reaching effects that could be felt globally, including the UK. The rollback of environmental regulations is already underway. Fossil fuel industries are being promoted. Environmental enforcement may weaken. Support for anti-ESG policies is likely. These are all potential, if not already evident, consequences under the new Trump administration.

Words by Ellie Hardcastle

The Environmental Cost of War in Gaza

Our environment is often an overlooked casualty of war. However, the severe waste contamination in Gaza—resulting from infrastructure collapse and military violence over the past 15 months—has shone a harsh light on the undeniable impact of conflict on our fragile ecosystem.

UN reports have stated approximately 97% of Gaza’s water is undrinkable due to the destruction of infrastructure, primarily the breakdown of sewage and waste management facilities. This has resulted in the accumulation of 39 million tonnes of debris and contamination of irrigation systems, leading to the death of livestock such as goats and cattle, as well as financially depleting the fishing and agriculture sector. Consequently, food security for the human population has decreased and the environment has faced extreme loss of natural habitats and contamination of air, soil and water. Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, a vibrant rich ecosystem teeming with coral reefs and hundreds of species of fish, has been made a hostile environment through underwater explosions and oil spills. 

Satellite images further reveal that around 80% of Gaza’s trees have been lost, while two-thirds of its farmlands have been damaged or destroyed by military bombardment—an ecological catastrophe that accelerates desertification and reduces carbon absorption. Such evidence underscores that, as with all environmental crises, the repercussions of this war extend far beyond Gaza. Every ecosystem plays a crucial role in maintaining our atmosphere and mitigating global warming, and it is important to consider the immense wealth this Mediterranean territory provides. 

This large-scale environmental degradation not only affects land and water resources but also threatens the region’s rich biodiversity. Palestine is characterised by its highly diverse topography, home to around 50,000 living species, constituting 3% of global biodiversity. In Gaza, direct bombings and pollution have inflicted severe damage on coastal areas, which provides vital feeding grounds to native migratory birds such as the turtle dove; a once abundant symbol of peace that is now tragically facing endangerment. 

Other animals, such as the Palestine sunbird and Arabian gazelle, have been pushed closer to extinction, while experts estimate a 40% decline in biodiversity since the 2000s, affecting countless more species. However, there is still the possibility of recovering these numbers, especially in light of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas enacted on January 19th 2025, which provides a window for environmental justice in this war torn area. The relief from bombardement will reduce further loss of habitat areas and fatality of wildlife through injury, although even with this respite, we can expect the consequences of contamination and pollution to have much longer lasting effects. 

As with most climate crises, it can be tempting to label the situation as hopeless. However, doing so would underestimate the humanitarian support that continues to exist in Gaza, even after more than 50 years of occupation. In 2022, for the first time in over a decade, Palestenians were able to swim in the ocean during the summer thanks to a community-led beach clean up and years of lobbying for improved sewage systems. More recently, even amid ongoing conflict, Gaza witnessed the installation of a desalination plant by the UAE in December 2023, providing 4.5 million liters of clean water. In March 2024, additional water pumping facilities were introduced, supplying clean water to over 200,000 residents in northern Gaza.

These efforts align with broader environmental commitments, such as Palestine’s participation in the Paris Agreement, which signals a long-term ambition to mitigate ecological harm. We can hope to see aims in reducing the environmental impact with projects such as replanting or soil decontamination. However, such processes are long and costly, often relying on charity aid and local involvement, which is further impeded by the fact many are facing tragic loss, medical issues or are suffering due to the lack of food and shelter. 

Human and environmental crises are deeply connected—one cannot be addressed without the other. Only through awareness and collective action can one expect to see the restoration of both Gaza’s environment and the lives that depend on it.

Words by Lucile Dudrey-Harvey

COP29 Wrapped Up: I hope its gone for minimal layers- we’ve got a hot year ahead of us

At time of writing, we are just reaching the end of COP29, the annual Conference of the Parties in which state representatives gather to discuss our impending climate doom, and ponder as to whether it’s maybe time to do something about it. 

Sorry – that was slightly biased. 

Officially, COP, or the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is a chance for representatives to come together to discuss what progress so far has been made towards climate goals, how far intended policies have been successful, and what still needs to be done. 

Different years take different focuses. In 2009 the focus was financial, and developed countries worldwide came together and pledged to collectively raise $100 billion a year to support developing countries’ climate action. An ambitious goal [that incidentally was hit for the first time only in 2020], but one that simultaneously was recognised to be insufficient – whilst a valuable first step, there remained an underlying acceptance that this number would one day have to be reconsidered. 

This is where we find ourselves today. Once again, the focus is financial, and representatives from around 200 countries have flocked to Baku in Azerbaijan with the aim of agreeing a new spending target to reach climate goals. This increased spending is of essential importance; it would facilitate the needed transition to a low-carbon global economy through investment in green technologies and the implementation of climate resilient policies in developing countries. 

Reaching an agreement, however, is proving to be challenging. Differing figures are being proposed – the Arab Group of countries has set high stakes with calls for a target of $1.1tn per year, the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change have raised this to $1.3tn a year, but a report from the Energy Transitions Commission think-tank suggests that these numbers, high as they seem, are not enough – to remain within the target of 1.5C, we also need capital investments of around $3tn a year. 

It is perhaps unsurprising, therefore, that the apparent concluding offer from COP29 of an annual $250 billion has not quite been received with open arms. 

Money always divides, but this is not a situation in which we can afford to be stingy, with the backdrop to these negotiations featuring news of events such as unprecedented floods in Spain and record wildfires in Ecuador, although then again – silly me – I guess money doesn’t grow on trees. We may have had a smattering of snow last week, but with warnings of 2024 set to be the hottest year yet, and a financial stalemate at the top, I think its parachutes, not ski boots, that we need to be dusting off – the end of the run’s looking worryingly barren.

Words by Coco Heppner

Free Leonard Peltier!

45 years ago, on the 6th February 1976 an indigenous activist, and member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, by the name of Leonard Peltier was arrested in Canada in connection to the shooting of two FBI agents on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, USA, in 1975. Peltier was convicted of aiding and abetting the murder and has been imprisoned since 1977 serving two life sentences. The trial was strewn with inaccuracies, mistrials of justice and downright discrimination, yet Peltier remains behind bars to this day. 

Before we get into the case it is important to give some background on the anti-indigenous atmosphere that has presided in the US since the first colonisers landed in 1607. Indigenous people have suffered a complete erasure of their culture and way of life through government policies designed to have that very effect. From the early days of ‘Manifest Destiny’ indigenous people have been slaughtered and their land has been stolen. Buffalo, an incredibly important animal which formed a lot of the basis for the indigenous people and their nomadic lifestyle, were massacred in huge numbers (three million were culled in 1872 alone). First Nations, who did not believe in the ownership of land, were pushed onto underfunded reservations which were then gradually stolen from them by white settlers. Indigenous customs and traditions have been made illegal and the US Government has forced policies intent on ‘Americanising’ and integrating First Nations into the ‘civilised’ capitalist society created by, and for, rich Caucasian men. Today, indigenous people make up only 2.4% of the US population, with over a quarter living in poverty. Issues of unemployment, alcoholism and drug abuse also disproportionately affect indigenous people.

In 1968, taking inspiration from the African American Civil Rights movement reaching its peak in the early 1960’s and the rise of the Black Panther Party during this time, the American Indian Movement (AIM) was set up to address systematic issues of poverty and police brutality against indigenous tribes. Leonard Peltier was an active member of this campaign group when two men (who, at the time, did not identify themselves as FBI Agents) invaded Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. 

Peltier’s trial took a little over two weeks and the all-white jury took 11 hours to deliver a guilty verdict. It was later revealed, though, that throughout the trial the FBI had coerced and intimidated key witnesses and Peltier’s constitutional right to a fair trial had been violated. The case mainly relied on Myrtle Poor Bear as a key witness as she was Peltier’s girlfriend and witnessed the shooting – except it was later revealed she was not present at the time of the shooting, moreover she had never known Leonard personally. Several key witnesses have since recanted their stories, claiming they were made under intimidation tactics carried out by the FBI. During his trial the FBI spread fearmongering rumours of possible ’terrorist’ attacks to be carried out by AIM, thus building tension in an already anti-indigenous atmosphere. In terms of physical evidence: FBI ballistic expert, Evan Hodge, stated he was unable to perform a test on the supposed murder weapon. It was later found out that a firing pin test was indeed carried out on the supposed murder weapon, and the results were negative. The bullets which killed the agents did not come from Peltier’s gun. The jury, of course, were never made aware of this evidence during the trial. There was no forensic evidence to support the prosecution. There was no reliable witness testimony that either: placed Peltier at the scene previous to the shooting or identified him as the person who shot the two FBI agents. There is no reasonable evidence that Leonard Peltier was responsible for the murder of FBI Agents Williams and Coler. 

Despite the massive amount of evidence of FBI misconduct, blatant disregard for Peltier’s constitutional rights, and obvious grounds for a mistrial; Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for the past 45 years. At the time of his imprisonment, in 1977, the average sentence served for homicide before being released on parole was 8 years – Peltier has, to this date, served over five times that amount. The US Government even extended his term, in direct violation of the 1984 Sentencing Reform Act. Furthermore, he has been denied clemency by, everybody’s favourite war criminals, George W. Bush and Barack Obama in 2009 and 2017 respectively. The next scheduled parole hearing is in 2024, by which time Peltier will be 79. 

Unless action is taken soon, it is highly likely that Leonard Peltier will die in prison, for a crime he was wrongfully convicted of. His only crime was belonging to a race of people which the US Government has sought to rid themselves of by any means necessary. The treatment of First Nations in the US has been the longest continual massacre in its history, yet it receives very little attention. When I studied ‘Native American Civil Rights’ for A-Level History, Peltier was never even mentioned by name – it simply stated that two FBI Agents had been shot on a reservation, before swiftly moving on. The fact that Peltier is still imprisoned shows clearly that the situation in the US is not improving. Racism, injustice, discrimination and persecution against non-whites is still incredibly prevalent and indigenous tribes are yet to face any real reparations for the complete destruction and systematic dismantling of their entire way of life. Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for 45 years for daring to campaign against systematic poverty and the persecution of his people, that does not give the impression of the free and fair society the US likes to present itself as. Free Leonard Peltier.

To find out more on the case, and find out how you can help, please visit: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info