Photograph by Beatrice Salomone / Connected Archives
Words by Jake Hall
Research has long shown that we’re drawn to bad news, in perpetual search of the next disaster. This means the hard-fought victories of climate activists—like the Jan. 30 court ruling which found that consent for Scottish oil and gas fields Rosebank and Jackdaw was granted unlawfully—are being drowned in news cycles of despair. But climate wins are happening the world over. They just don’t always make the news.
It’s hard not to feel discouraged after President Donald J. Trump promised to “drill, baby, drill!” during his inaugural address. Fewer than 24 hours later, the 47th president passed a flurry of executive orders limiting the production of renewable energy, streamlining fossil fuel extraction, and withdrawing the United States from the landmark Paris Agreement. Trump even launched a personal war on the endangered delta smelt, which he characterized as an “essentially worthless fish,” and set his sights on improving shower water pressure to wash his “gorgeous head of hair.”
Trump may be one of the most powerful people in the world, but he is also deeply unserious, so it’s worth examining these orders in more detail.
Take the case of the oil industry. Financial Times Energy Editor Jamie Smyth explained in a Jan. 27 FT News Briefing podcast that big oil producers have actually pledged to cut spending this year, due to weakening global demand and the expense of extraction. Wall Street is “not driven by political slogans,” Smyth clarified, reiterating the length of time it takes to build new gas and oil pipelines. “By that stage, Donald Trump might not be in office and we could have a Democrat administration, which could reverse some of [Trump’s] policies.”
Meanwhile, mayors worldwide responded to Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement by affirming their commitment to climate action, promising to harness the power of local governments. And in December, youth climate activists in Montana won a court case defending their right to hold pollutant companies accountable, a victory likely to empower others.
“Under the new administration in the United States, the leadership of local communities will be more important than ever.”
Many of these victories are won in courtrooms. ClientEarth is a charity made up of international law experts, whose sole purpose is to defend the planet. In the last few months alone, ClientEarth won a “landmark settlement” in a Polish greenwashing case, and defeated an Italian government gas project which could have spelled disaster for marine life. In a 2024 interview with BusinessGreen, ClientEarth’s CEO Laura Clarke predicted a rise in climate litigation. This is undeniably good news, as the last few years have already seen an uptick in companies being held accountable for their environmental impact. Lawyers keep chipping away at polluters, and earning key victories in the process.
A Plastic Planet, a global solutions organization working with industry experts and health scientists to ensure a greener future, is among the organizations fighting to protect the planet. “We’ve always recognized that legislation will be the catalyst for change,” co-founder Sian Sutherland tells Atmos.
One core tenet of this work is the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty, which Sutherland says “could harmonize regulation to halt the spiraling amount of plastic being produced, our exposure to its harmful chemicals, and provide a framework for accountability.” Negotiations came to a frustrating halt in Busan late last year when countries with oil-rich economies stalled progress. Yet Sutherland remains optimistic: “More than 100 states voted in favor of putting a cap on plastic production, and did not give in to efforts to derail a treaty that will protect future generations.”
As well as regulation and legislation, companies are taking creative approaches to reduce our reliance on plastics. Sutherland credits innovations such as NBCo’s “scalable, viable, and beautiful cellulosic fiber bottle,” ShellWorks’ development of “plastic-like but healthy materials,” and Sparxell’s biodegradable pigments. Designers and artists are making eco-friendly magic, building sustainability into the foundations of their businesses.
Experts have long warned that the climate crisis is fueled by rampant capitalism, and that’s undeniably true. The good news is, we’re increasingly seeing that green energy can be profitable. The New York Times recently reported that Trump is “testing the boundaries of presidential power” by passing orders to halt already-authorized funding for electric car charging stations, even as global economies are seeing the financial benefits of investing in electric vehicles and renewable energy. In other words: economic concerns could cause pushback against Trump.
Worldwide, a green energy transition is already underway, and communities are fighting to ensure that this shift protects not only environmental rights, but human rights, too. “The Just Transition to clean energy is already being led by local communities around the world,” said Ahmed Gaya, director of the National Partnership for New Americans’ Climate Justice Collaborative. “Under the new administration in the United States, the leadership of local communities will be more important than ever.” Broadly, the CJC works to ensure the safety and rights of immigrants, refugees, and climate-displaced communities, organizing these groups to fight for their rights. In New Mexico, Somos Un Pueblo Unido won funding for an innovative program to replace the income of migrant workers while they train to transition into green jobs, ensuring that labor rights are factored into the ongoing shift towards green energy.
“The Paris Agreement has strong foundations and is here to stay.”
To be clear, Trump’s second term will make some of these fights harder. “He’ll put out our flames with gasoline,” said Ben Leffel, an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and Leadership at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “It’s clear that this administration’s climate policies are frankly suicidal, but the time has come once again for cities, states, and businesses to fill the gap, just like they did many years ago.”
Already, Bloomberg Philanthropies has responded to Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement by pledging funding to the UN’s climate change body, which Leffel points to as “the kind of subnational leadership we need.” He reminded us that Trump withdrew from the Agreement during his first term, sparking climate preservation action from an “American delegation of local governments.” Leffel predicts a repeat of this delegation, “only with better planning and a better understanding of how to do it, because we’re now experienced in this unfortunate exercise of filling in gaps from the bottom up.”
It’s understandable that so many of us feel powerless in the face of Trump’s presidency, but Leffel reiterated that “communities, cities, and businesses are not helpless.” Better still, there are blueprints of cities taking action. “Houston, Texas rebranded itself from an energy capital to a green energy capital,” he said, growing an “environmental services industry around the shores of their existing oil industry.” In fact, he continued, research on the United States emissions gap shows that it “could be filled if you take all the subnational actors and their commitments, and put them all together.”
In an increasingly Americentric world, it’s worth remembering that the climate crisis is as global as the efforts to fight it. China—the world’s biggest polluter—has made strides in green development in recent years, becoming a global leader in the development and export of electric vehicles, although this comes with its own challenges. The European Union has become a well-known thorn in Trump’s side, passing green regulations designed to ensure transparency and accountability. Wopke Hoekstra, the European Commissioner for Climate Action, told Atmos that the EU “remains committed to working with the U.S. and our international partners to address the pressing issue of climate change,” despite Trump’s withdrawal. “The Paris Agreement has strong foundations and is here to stay,” he said.
For every public, pro-fracking speech, there’s a local community fighting to keep oil barons off their land; there’s an NGO like ClientEarth quietly leading lawsuits to hold governments accountable; there’s a group of youth activists fighting in court to defend their right to a clean, habitable environment. Trump’s election is an obvious blow for climate action, but there’s hope yet. As Leffel summarized: “Basically, non-nation state actors can save the world.”
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Climate Wins Are Happening, You Just Aren’t Hearing About Them
