As COP29 Opens After Consequential Election, U.S. Must Seize Economic Opportunity to Lead

WASHINGTON - World leaders are preparing to gather in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the next round of global climate talks (COP 29), following a consequential presidential election that will send Donald Trump-the worst climate president in U.S. history-back to the White House.

A statement follows from Manish Bapna, President of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

"This year's climate summit comes on the heels of the consequential re-election of the worst climate president in U.S. history.

"The U.S. has a critical role to play in confronting this crisis, but the results of this election mean the road ahead is more uncertain. We know who Trump is and who he cares about-himself and his billionaire Big Oil donors. We know what his plans are-they're spelled out in Project 2025.

"But the U.S. remains in the climate fight. We are going to do everything we can to keep progress moving outside of Washington so the momentum is irreversible. That means pushing progress forward at the state level, local level, in the private sector and public more broadly-to uphold the spirit of the international agreements and to keep the U.S. commitments to the world, even without leadership in the White House.

"The vast majority of Americans support clean energy and climate action. It's the direction the marketplace is already moving; the economics are on our side. In blue, purple and especially red states-more and more people are seeing that clean energy is cheaper, and supports millions of jobs and counting nationwide. If that is threatened-you can expect to see even deeper and broader push back this time around.

"It's not a question of 'if' but 'when' the U.S. transitions to the clean energy economy. It's a question of whether the U.S. will move fast enough to avert worst of climate crisis. And it's a question of whether the U.S. will be a leader in that transition to a cleaner, safer future.

"In the face of these significant challenges, we must not lose sight of the global opportunity before us to turn last year's historic commitment from all countries-to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy generation, and double the rate of energy-efficiency improvements this decade-into new climate plans for 2035, and reap the immense benefits it brings to the economy, our health and the climate.

"The world must not, and is not, waiting for the U.S. to act. When leaders regroup at COP29, we will be looking for them to come prepared to meet this moment. That means agreeing to a new, more equitable global finance goal that mobilizes diverse sources of funding and ensures it gets to where it is needed the most. It means more ambition in countries' 2035 climate targets. And it means more accountability for the most polluting countries and especially the fossil fuel industry itself."

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).