This year’s annual global climate summit, COP29, is being held in oil-producing Azerbaijan on a “bad moon”. Many had already commented since last year on the choice of the specific country followed by Dubai, also identified with fossil fuels, in 2023. This year things look difficult from the start. It is characteristic that a number of foreign leaders decided not to take part in the meeting, while in her absence the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will also shine.

Overthrow by Trump

The election victory of Donald Trump, who many times in the past has questioned the phenomenon of the climate crisis, has now been added to the bad news. Before he could celebrate his victory, he hastened to announce the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, within the framework of the UN, which is considered the “backbone” of efforts to reduce gas emissions.

“The United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, thank you, but will begin negotiations to rejoin, either in the Paris agreement or in a completely new one, on terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses , their workers, their people, their taxpayers. So we’re leaving, but we’re going to start negotiating and see if we can make a deal that’s fair, and if we can, that’s great. And if we can’t, that’s fine again” he announced in front of his colleagues.

Turn to fossil fuels

The transition staff of the US president-elect has already prepared the relevant executive orders, and will allow further drilling and mining, according to a report in the US newspaper New York Times. Trump is also expected to allow new permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and repeal the measure, which allows California and other states to adopt stricter pollution standards, the report said.

So it seems that those, who from the first moment estimated that Trump’s victory will be a defeat for the environment, are justified. The president-elect had taken a similar decision to withdraw during his first term.

This decision of his then brought him into a rift with Elon Musk, his current friend and sponsor, who called it wrong, leaving the committees of “wise men”, in which he participated along with other businessmen selected by Trump, declaring that ” climate change is a reality.”

Joe Biden had signed the rejoining of the US to the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, in 2021, characterizing the response to climate change as a matter of national security.

“Guys, the facts are clear. Climate change is an existential threat to our lives, to our economy. And the threat is here. It’s not going to get better. The question is: Can it get any worse? We can stop the deterioration. And so, my friends, we must listen to scientists, economists, and national security experts. Everyone tells us this is a code red. The nation and the world are in danger. And this is not an exaggeration. This is a fact,” declared the Democratic president at the time.

A step back

Overall, Joe Biden sought to demonstrate the “green face” of his politics. He has spent billions of dollars on renewable energy projects, without actually managing to reduce the amount of pollutants produced in his country.

He even used to refer frequently to the issue of climate catastrophe, even at the beginning of his second election campaign, which was famously interrupted in disgrace.

Now Trump plans to undo his predecessor’s legacy, sparking global concern about the implications of his choice for the future of the planet.