Defiant climate advocates from Germany call for EU resolve as Trump returns to office

The return of Donald Trump as U.S. president has led government representatives, climate researchers and activists from Germany to call for a fresh resolve in EU climate action, warning that the new U.S. administration will pose a major challenge to international emissions reduction efforts. “What’s happening in the U.S. is the beginning of a historic failure,” economy and climate action minister Robert Habeck said at a conference in Berlin on 21 January.

Habeck said he woke up with “a dull feeling in the stomach” following Trump’s inauguration. The climate sceptic Republican had increased pressure on Europe to ensure that it is successful by itself - and also to stand up for itself. “We don't have to let ourselves be pushed around,” the Green Party politician said. “We will act with an outstretched hand, but we won't let them knock it away,” Habeck said and warned against “moral cowardice.”

As one of his first administrative actions after taking office, Trump decided to pull the U.S. out of the landmark Paris Climate Agreement – for the second time. Habeck called the step “a fatal signal,” adding that future generations will judge the present one by what it did to stop climate change.

Habeck said he was against making deals, such as importing more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S., in order to avoid car import restrictions by the Trump administration. It is not in Germany’s interest to become even more dependent on U.S. LNG, he said, warning that this would make the country more vulnerable to blackmail.

“This would create a geopolitical dependence in a world where we have to expect that dependency and relationships will be exploited,” Habeck warned. He added that increasing U.S. LNG imports would also push up energy costs; would necessitate cutting imports from other European countries, such as Norway; and would also be difficult to implement in practice as market signals would have to be ignored.

In an official government statement, chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed the long history of Germany and the U.S. as close partners. “Together we can give a decisive push for freedom, peace and security as well as for prosperity and economic development on both sides of the Atlantic,” the statement read.

European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on social media that Europe would "stay the course" regarding the Paris Climate Agreement and will "keep working with all nations that want to stop global warming." She stressed that "all continents will have to deal with the growing burden of climate change," adding that "its impact is impossible to ignore."

"The European Union must respond strategically"

In a statement, Ottmar Edenhofer, climate economist and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), chose a less diplomatic approach: "Trump’s return to the White House raises serious concerns about the future of international climate cooperation.” Edenhofer said Trump could undermine progress of the UN climate conference process COP, cut domestic emissions reduction in the U.S., and weaken international efforts to curb global warming.

“The European Union must respond strategically to these challenges by strengthening its commitment to the European Green Deal, sharpening its competitive edge in net-zero industries, and fostering international alliances through its carbon market diplomacy," he argued. Johan Rockström, also director of the PIK, said Trump’s previous term had caused a “dangerous pause” in global climate action. “Another delay is time we cannot afford to lose,” the Swedish scientist said.

NGO Germanwatch said Europe had to respond to “national authoritarianism” in the U.S. with self-confidence and to defend the rule of law, human rights and climate action. “The next years are about Germany’s and Europe’s ability to effectively, justly and affordably address the social and ecologic challenges,” said NGO head Christoph Bals. Europe would face a massive push by far-right groups led by president Trump and his billionaire aide and booster, Elon Musk. “We as civil society actors will work here and worldwide on crafting alliances to protect human rights and the ecological basis of life.”

Climate activists to focus on cooperation with U.S. states and private sector

Bals also stressed the need to regulate social media platforms, hinting at investigations by the EU into Musk’s platform X for violation of anti-disinformation laws, which the owner of EV company Tesla has used to lash out at European governments and push far-right parties in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. “We won’t let democracy and free speech be taken away from us,” Bals said. The NGO head added that Trump would be supported by the fossil fuel lobby and libertarian entrepreneurs that regard the EU as a roadblock to their ambitions. “Now they want to crack up the EU, which is one of their strongest opponents in the world.”

The NGO said it would intensify efforts to work with partners in the U.S. from the private sector and at the subnational level, where governors from 24 states and across party lines have said they will stick to the climate target set by former U.S. president Joe Biden. Germanwatch’s EU climate policy expert Simon Wolf said the EU should make “attractive cooperation offers” to the U.S. in industries related to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, a policy enacted by the Biden administration that has led to massive investments in the U.S. green tech sector.  

“Many companies have understood that this is where value creation happens in the future,” Wolf said, arguing that “the Trump administration will not break the global trend towards climate friendly technology.”  On his first day in office, Trump  also mandated a review of the Inflation Reduction Act payments.

According to a survey conducted by economic research institute ifo, the second Trump presidency has elicited significant concerns among many economists and experts especially in Europe and North America. The survey found that in the U.S., Canada and many countries in Europe, concerns about international trade and climate policy are widespread, while other parts of the world are less worried about the Trump administration’s impact.