Trump signs order as UN special envoy pledges U.S. climate action  

Michael R. Bloomberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions. PHOTO/UGC. By DUKE WACHIRA. [email protected]. Michael R. Bloomberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, has announced a pivotal intervention by Bloomberg Philanthropies.. This initiative, he said is supported by other U.S. climate funders, aims to mitigate the consequences of the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement for the second time.. Bloomberg’s announcement underscored a commitment to covering the financial shortfalls and fulfilling reporting obligations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), emphasizing the critical role of subnational entities and private philanthropy in sustaining U.S. climate commitments.. Bloomberg’s pledge came as President Donald Trump signed executive actions that cemented his intent to double down on fossil fuels and reverse America’s progress on climate change and clean energy, including signing orders to pull US out of the Paris climate agreement.. Trump’s day-one actions come as climate change-fueled fires ravage Southern California, following the globe’s hottest year on record during which two major hurricanes – Helene and Milton – devastated the Southeast.. In his inauguration speech, Trump said he will declare a “national energy emergency,” though United States is producing more oil now than any other country at any other time.. Trump views energy prices as central to his mission to address widespread frustrations with the cost of living, and has argued that slashing red tape will help drive down energy prices and fight overall inflation.. “The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices,” Trump said during his inaugural address. “That’s why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill.”. Scientists declared earlier this month the planet for the first time breached 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming last year — a significant benchmark that experts researching Earth’s tipping points have warned humanity to avoid, and the goal world leaders aspired to when they signed the Paris Agreement in 2015.. Historical Context: The Recurring Federal Climate Leadership Deficit. This marks the second time Bloomberg has stepped in to help uphold the country’s funding and reporting commitments under the Paris Agreement amid a lack of U.S. federal climate leadership.. INFOGRAPHIC/FREEP!K. In 2017, the U.S. government announced its intention to withdraw from the Agreement – and with it, the country’s obligations to fund, engage with, and report to the UN.. In addition to committing to fill the U.S. funding gap, Bloomberg and then-California Governor Jerry Brown launched America’s Pledge – an initiative to close the U.S. reporting gap by annually aggregating and reporting non-federal climate commitments, to ensure the world could track U.S. climate progress as if it were any other nation committed to the Paris Agreement.. The initiative also funded U.S. Climate Action pavilions at UN Climate Conferences to highlight the resilience and determination of American sub-national actors. These measures demonstrated that significant progress could be achieved despite federal abdication of responsibility.. Philanthropy’s Expanding Role in Climate Governance. Bloomberg’s announcement reaffirms the expanding influence of private philanthropy in global climate governance. While traditionally considered a supplementary force, philanthropy now assumes a central role in addressing systemic challenges.. That year Bloomberg and Governor Brown delivered the first America’s Pledge report detailing the progress of subnationals in reducing emissions and their potential for higher ambition.. Delivered to the UN and international climate community, these analyses detailed how states, cities, businesses, and other non-federal actors drove meaningful emissions reductions and showed that significant progress was possible even without federal support.. Support from Bloomberg Philanthropies continued to make up the funding and reporting gaps in 2018, 2019, and 2020.. When the United States committed to rejoining the Paris Agreement in 2021, America’s Pledge joined with We Are Still In to become America Is All In, the most extensive and diverse coalition of U.S. leaders ever assembled in support of climate action.. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, underscored this sentiment by acknowledging Bloomberg’s contributions as critical to enabling the UNFCCC to support nations in fulfilling their Paris Agreement commitments.. This highlights the evolving dynamics where non-state actors increasingly act as stewards of international agreements.. President Donald Trump speaking after being sworn-in. PHOTO/Screenshot.. Economic and Environmental Imperatives Driving Sub-national Leadership. The rationale behind this intervention is rooted in a dual recognition: the rising toll of climate-related disasters and the burgeoning economic opportunities in the clean energy sector.. Bloomberg highlighted these contrasts, citing devastating climate events like California’s wildfires juxtaposed with job growth and cost reductions in renewable energy across political divides. This framing positions climate action not merely as an environmental necessity but as an economic imperative, resonating with broader political and public audiences.. Research from the University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability shows that ambitious climate action from cities, states, businesses, and other local U.S. institutions can help the U.S. reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 54-62 percent by 2035, even without federal climate action. This analysis shows how U.S. subnational actors can significantly contribute to and potentially deliver on the U.S. goals under the Paris Agreement.. Building Resilience: The Continuation of “America Is All In”. Bloomberg’s leadership in uniting subnational actors culminated in the evolution of America’s Pledge into America Is All In. This coalition, the most diverse of its kind, showcases a broad-based commitment to climate action across political, economic, and societal spheres.. It symbolizes a paradigm shift, where climate leadership is no longer confined to federal institutions but distributed across a mosaic of actors.. The coalition’s focus on tracking progress, fostering innovation, and sustaining momentum reflects a sophisticated understanding of climate governance as a multi-layered process.. Gina McCarthy, former White House National Climate Advisor, emphasized the coalition’s role in advancing climate goals while delivering economic and public health benefits, reinforcing the alignment of environmental and societal objectives.. A Roadmap for Sustained Progress. Bloomberg’s decisive action in 2025 is emblematic of the broader shifts in climate governance, where philanthropy and subnational entities fill critical gaps left by federal inaction.. This approach not only safeguards the U.S.’s international credibility but also illustrates a replicable model for other nations grappling with similar challenges.. By aligning climate action with economic growth and public well-being, Bloomberg Philanthropies demonstrates how innovative, multi-stakeholder strategies can drive transformative change in the face of political and environmental adversity.. The evolving narrative of U.S. climate leadership highlights a broader truth: tackling the climate crisis requires a concerted, collective effort that transcends traditional boundaries of governance, blending public resolve, private ingenuity, and global cooperation.