Trump Whiplash Looms Over Global Climate Talks

World leaders from more than 100 countries will gather next week at the United Nations climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss the threats of a rapidly warming world.

But the main topic of conversation is likely to be President-elect Donald Trump.

During his first term, Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate accord, promoted the expansion of fossil fuels and renounced American leadership on environmental issues.

Over the past four years, the Biden administration reversed course, rejoined the Paris accord, invested heavily in renewable energy and looked for ways to limit oil and gas production.

Now, whiplash. At the end of what will probably be the hottest year in recorded history, with extreme weather driven by climate change wreaking havoc around the globe, the world is confronting a second Trump term.

On the campaign trail, Trump continued to call climate change a hoax, said he would pull out of the Paris accord again, pledged to expand oil and gas production and roll back pollution controls, and threatened to eliminate federal incentives that promote renewable energy and electric vehicles.

All of this may make it less likely for other countries to spend money and political capital combating climate change.