Trump turning America into petrostate, says Cuffe

Former Green MEP Ciáran Cuffe has warned by censoring climate science at the US Environmental Protection Agency, President Donald Trump is turning the United States into a petrostate, at the very moment Europe and China the global economy are moving towards cheap renewable energy”,

Cuffe said that Trump’s decision to downplay science at the EPA is “morally wrong, and painful to witness as Spain and Portugal are battered by deadly storms and floods caused by climate change”

‘Trump is also economically short-sighted. In a climate-constrained world, those who refuse to act will lose allies. Painful as Trump’s policy is, the USA’s difficulty is the EU’s opportunity, particularly with the good news that shows that China’s mass investment in renewable energy leads to ‘flat or falling’ CO2 emissions. The USA will lose the race to decarbonise in a climate-constrained world if it fails to take action. Trump has created this transatlantic divide, and this new reality is an economic opportunity for Europe,’ Cuffe said. 

‘This will also put further strain on the trade relations. But Europe should see this not only as a crisis, but as a strategic opening for Europe to lead,” added European Green Party Co-Chair Vula Tsetsi.

‘Climate change is increasingly seen as a security issue because it leads to shortages of resources, instability, and rising geopolitical tensions, making international cooperation more important. While the US locks itself into fossil fuels, Europe is investing in renewable energy which is now the most cost-competitive source of new electricity generation in 2024. If the US steps away from the clean technology race, Europe can and must seize the opportunity to lead on climate policy.’ 

‘Doubling down now will not only protect Europeans from the escalating impacts of climate change, but also secure Europe’s geopolitical autonomy. It will strengthen our competitiveness (much more than any 20th century deregulation project that German Chancellor Merz and Italy PM Meloni are proposing), will create even more quality jobs and Europe will be free when it’s free from fossil fuel. When managed skilfully by Europe’s leaders, this can also become Europe’s moment’, Tsetsi concluded. 

Last week, the International Energy Agency’s assessment was that we have passed peak coal thanks to the phase-out in the West and electrification in China.