--- title: Donald Trump Climate Change Positions Aren't Stopping Obama description: Donald Trump may be the U.S. President-elect, but the businessman's denial of climate change has not stopped the Obama administration canonical: https://time.com/4573566/donald-trump-climate-change-barack-obama/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-17T00:45:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:54:27.995Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump's Promise to Reverse Momentum on Climate Change Hasn't Stopped the Obama Administration og:description: "Some issues look a little bit different when you’re actually in office" says Secretary of State John Kerry og:url: https://time.com/4573566/donald-trump-climate-change-barack-obama/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt507f6a757c206d45/6988aec6524fc04e35dfa449/john-kerry-climate-change.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4936 og:image:height: 2777 og:image:alt: John kerry climate change donald trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump's Promise to Reverse Momentum on Climate Change Hasn't Stopped the Obama Administration twitter:description: "Some issues look a little bit different when you’re actually in office" says Secretary of State John Kerry twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt507f6a757c206d45/6988aec6524fc04e35dfa449/john-kerry-climate-change.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump's Promise to Reverse Momentum on Climate Change Hasn't Stopped the Obama Administration > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=d6ca4f60-8a7f-4241-9a40-bbda85984ef0&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: A Trump Presidency and the Future of Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): A Trump Presidency and the Future of Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/U3bhooK6.m3u8) (2:27)  _Published 2016-11-15. Donald Trump has repeatedly indicated that environmentalism is not his priority. Now, Climate scientists, policymakers and diplomats are questioning how his presidency will shape the future of climate change policy._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Nov 17, 2016 12:45 AM UTC Donald Trump has repeatedly indicated that environmentalism is not his priority. Now, Climate scientists, policymakers and diplomats are questioning how his presidency will shape the future of climate change policy.  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Nov 17, 2016 12:45 AM UTC Donald Trump may be the U.S. president-elect, but the businessman’s [denial of climate change](http://time.com/4564224/donald-trump-climate-change/?iid=sr-link5) has not stopped the Obama administration from pushing forward on its efforts to address climate change. The White House presented a [plan](https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/mid%5Fcentury%5Fstrategy%5Freport-final.pdf) Wednesday to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 2005 levels by 2050, [announced](https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-announces-final-rule-reduce-methane-emissions-wasted-gas-public) a finalized regulation to reduce methane gas emissions from oil and gas operations, and has continued to push for strong multi-lateral action in ongoing negotiations at an international climate change conference in Marrakech. The administration is also [reportedly](http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-11-16/obama-said-to-block-selling-new-drilling-rights-in-u-s-arctic-ivl28guc) planning to block oil and gas drilling in the Arctic through 2022. “I can tell you with confidence that the United States is right now, today, on our way to meeting all of the international targets that we’ve set,” [said](http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/11/264366.htm?ct=t%282016%5F1116%5Fcop22%5Fkerry%5Fremarks) Secretary of State John Kerry in Marrakech Wednesday. “Because of the market decisions that are being made, I do not believe that that can or will be reversed.” The U.S. climate announcements may be new this week, but their origins extend far earlier than Trump’s ascendancy. The long-term 2050 goal has been a topic among climate negotiators since the early days of the Obama presidency. And, while many policymakers and observers knew of 80% target long ago, the new government report gives a firm blueprint about how to get there. **Read More:** [Donald Trump Says He’ll Bring Back Coal. Here’s Why He Can’t](http://time.com/4570070/donald-trump-coal-jobs/?iid=sr-link1) Much of the U.S. plan relies on removing fossil fuels from the energy sector, an initiative underway thanks to the rise of relatively cheap renewables and regulations like the [Clean Power Plan](http://time.com/3981535/white-house-clean-power-plan/). But it also calls for efforts to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That could take the form of developing sophisticated technology that traps carbon dioxide and stores it underground or simply [restoring forests and expanding nature](http://time.com/4070683/nature-climate-change/?iid=sr-link1). Framers of the plan hope that the different methods of reducing emissions give the country alternatives should one approach prove unsuitable. The methane rule—issued by the Department of the Interior—requires oil and gas companies operating on federal land to reduce the amount of natural gas the enters the atmosphere through leaks and flaring, a process producers use to purposefully burn gas. The rule is the latest of a series of measures from the White House to reduce [methane emissions](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/14/fact-sheet-administration-takes-steps-forward-climate-action-plan-anno-1) from the industry by up to 45% by 2025 below 2012 levels. Of course, Trump could take aim at any of the new plans or rules when he takes office in January, but announcing them formally will make reversing them much more challenging. In the case of the methane rule, the Trump administration would need to go through a formal rule-making process and form a scientific and legal basis for undoing the policy. And even then any attempt to undo regulations will almost certainly face heavy opposition from environmental groups, including well-funded litigation. **Read More:** [How a Little-Known Federal Agency Has Slowed New Oil and Gas Drilling](http://time.com/4226452/blm-oil-gas-leases/?iid=sr-link10) The long-term decarbonization plan will be easier for Trump to ignore as none of its provision are binding. Still, experts say that its long-term nature means that even Trump cannot doom it. “The bottom line is emission cuts today yield greater dividends than emissions cuts tomorrow,” says Mariana Panuncio-Feldman, a climate expert at the WWF attending the Marrakech climate conference. “While four years will influence the trajectory, it will not define it.” Kerry—speaking in Marrakech—acknowledged Trump’s position on climate change but expressed optimism that the President-elect will change his mind in the face of scientific consensus and pressure from the world community. “Obviously, an election took place in my country. And I know it has left some here and elsewhere feeling uncertain about the future,” he said. But “some issues look a little bit different when you’re actually in office compared to when you’re on the campaign trail.” ## Transcript [00:00] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:03] Donald Trump has called climate change a hoax. It'll [00:05] get cooler, it'll get warmer. It's called weather. Now [00:07] that he's President- elect, here's what at stake for the [00:09] future of the environment. Thank you. Paris Agreement [00:13] which was negotiated last year and came into effect [00:16] just a few weeks ago was a monumental step for [00:19] addressing climate change. And setting a path forward [00:22] for the coming decades to reduce greenhouse gas [00:24] emissions. Donald Trump has promised to cancel the [00:27] Paris agreement, or at the very least, renegotiate it. [00:30] Stop all payments of the United States tax dollars to UN [00:35] Global Warming Programs. He does not have the [00:37] authority to cancel it. It's an agreement with more than [00:41] 190 countries. He also doesn't have the power to [00:44] withdraw from it. Immediately at least, it would take at [00:47] least three years to go through those processes. He [00:50] does have the power to ignore it. It's unlikely that other [00:54] countries will feel comfortable making big reductions in [00:56] their greenhouse gas emissions, if the United States is [00:59] not taking the lead. Another policy at stake is Obama's [01:02] clean power plan. [ APPLAUSE ] Single most [01:07] important step America has ever taken in the fight [01:10] against global Climate change. Trump has said that he [01:12] would cancel it. Environmental Protection, what they do [01:16] is a disgrace. Every week they come out with new [01:18] regulations. He has the authority to do that. He could [01:20] direct the EPA to eliminate the clean power plan. We'll [01:24] be fine with the environment. We can leave a little bit, [01:27] but you can't destroy businesses He will definitely if he [01:30] does face litigation from environmental groups that will [01:34] argue that it's the EPA's role to do that. It's a long [01:38] winding process. And certainly not something that he's [01:40] going to be able to accomplish in his first 100 days. [01:45] Environmentalists are trying to remain Optimistic and [01:47] looking at a lot of the market trends that have resulted [01:50] in the reduction in coal power and other greenhouse [01:55] gas emissions. A lot of it is outside of the realm of [01:57] regulation. But also trying to stay optimistic about the [02:01] Paris agreement. Some of them say even if Donald [02:04] Trump Withdraws, they are confident that other [02:06] countries will step up to the plate. I'm 16 years old [02:09] from Mwanza, Tanzania. Looking forward, there's a lot [02:11] of things that Trump can do to slow progress on [02:14] climate change, but many of the trends he doesn't [02:16] have control over. So there is reason for optimism if [02:20] you're looking in the long- term. 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