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Opinion
Trump making fossil fuels great again has global implications
The Trump administration is trying to shift global energy dynamics by ignoring climate change and using US oil and gas as geopolitical tools
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Professor Syed Munir Khasru is chairman of the international think tank IPAG Asia-Pacific, Australia, with a presence also in Dhaka, Delhi, Dubai, and Vienna.
The era of hydrocarbons is accelerating under the second Trump administration, posing a direct threat to global climate goals and putting years of clean energy progress at risk. On his first day in office, US President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency and signed an executive order establishing the National Energy Dominance Council. Headed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, its mandate revolves around fast-tracking oil, gas and coal development.
This aggressive stance was reinforced by a series of executive orders focused on reviving the coal industry, which Trump described as “beautiful” and “clean”. Surrounded by coal miners at the White House, he pledged to accelerate leases for coal mining on federal land and eliminate permitting delays that have long hindered coal expansion.
The administration has not limited its efforts to the federal level. It has also taken aim at state-driven climate initiatives, seeking to override local authority and weaken environmental protections. Moves to block California’s cap-and-trade policies, halt enforcement of penalties against fossil fuel firms in New York and Vermont and shut down climate lawsuits targeting oil companies all reflect a broader strategy to consolidate fossil fuel influence across every level of government.
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