Exploring the Climate Impact of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: What You Need to Know

New legislation, recently signed by President Trump, is poised to have major implications for clean energy in the U.S. Early forecasts suggest it could lead to billions of extra tons of CO2 emissions over the next decade. The U.S. was already lagging in meeting its Paris Agreement goals to cut emissions in half by 2030. This new law could set the country further back, making it harder to meet climate targets.

“While other countries are doubling down on clean energy investment, the U.S. is stepping back,” said David Widawsky from the World Resources Institute.

The bill, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” is extensive, with over $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $350 billion earmarked for immigration enforcement and military spending. To fund these areas, Congress made significant cuts to clean energy, healthcare, and food programs. Billions of dollars in tax credits for low-emission energy sources, initially set up under the Inflation Reduction Act, are now on the chopping block.

Research from Princeton University shows that these changes will notably slow down the U.S.’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions had been projected to drop by about 25% by 2030 under previous policies. Now, estimates show that the decline may only reach around 20%, which translates to hundreds of millions of additional tons of CO2.

Looking ahead to 2035, emissions were expected to fall up to 44% from 2005 levels under Biden’s plan; however, this new law could see that drop limited to just 25%. This means that by 2030, U.S. emissions could exceed Paris Agreement targets by 2 billion tons and fall short of net-zero goals by 2.5 billion tons in 2035.

The bill eliminates tax credits for electric vehicles immediately and phases out those for renewable energy by 2026, while still keeping incentives for traditional energy sources like nuclear and hydropower until 2033. Surprisingly, it maintains tax credits for fossil fuel technologies, like low-emission hydrogen production and carbon capture.

Many climate advocates are upset by this legislation, stressing that it puts a damper on the progress in clean energy production and threatens jobs in domestic manufacturing. “We need more clean energy, not less,” said Manish Bapna from the Natural Resources Defense Council. The sentiment across social media reflects a growing public concern. Users are exchanging views on the bill, with many feeling frustrated about the setbacks to the clean energy agenda.

The consequences of this new law may impact the environment and public health substantially, especially as the U.S. is one of the largest carbon emitters globally. A recent survey indicates that 70% of Americans believe transitioning to clean energy should be a priority. Keeping this in mind, the response to the legislation could shape future discussions on climate policy.

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Paris climate summit,Donald Trump,greenhouse gas emissions,energy efficiency