Climate policies and programs in the US continue to take a thumping under President Trump, but already there’s been a major win to unlock Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds he’s froze.
Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel in Australia, Canada and other countries are without exemptions despite the US’ reliance on imported aluminium.
The move follows a series of climate-related policy changes the Trump administration has made since January.
But countries such as Canada, democratic leaning states in the US and leading US-based companies responded to Trump’s orders with a series of lawsuits, retaliatory tariffs and state-based initiatives. Here’s a roundup of the backlash to the Trump’s latest orders:
Ontario placed retaliatory tariffs affecting New York, Minnesota and Michigan
Placing 25 per cent tariffs on countries in a move to secure national security, according to the White House.
The 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel will greatly impact Canada, as it provides three of the five million tonnes the US uses each year.
In response, Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, plans to charge 1.5 million American homes and businesses in Minnesota, New York and Michigan 25 per cent more for energy usage.
This is on top of the $C30 billion ($33 billion) in tariffs placed on American goods such as orange juice, jeans, peanut butter, coffee, cosmetics and motorcycles.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has subsequently directed the Department of Public Service, the New York State Energy Research and Developing Authority, and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to review the tariffs placed by Trump.
Big wins against the IRA freeze
Among the biggest wins so far comes from Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, Washington DC and 22 other states with a lawsuit against the funding and a win that unlocked $US2.1 billion (3.3 billion) in frozen funds. Another $US900 million in funds are under review.
After federal freezing
The federal freeze on funding for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which offered funding, programs and incentives to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, has met with lawsuits from Governor Josh Shapiro and 22 other states against the federal government and won the right to unfreeze the $US2.1 billion in funds.
Federal Court Judge John J McConnell Jr sent a 13 page order to Trump to let the federal money flow for climate related issues. The order has no expiration date.
State-led climate program initiatives to start
In other states, including Pennsylvania, programs and grants were offered immediately following the unfreezing of the federal money.
Shapiro announced the Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) program in late February.
The program is funded by the 2022 IRA. It accepts grant applications from companies that own industrial facilities, mines and natural gas infrastructure for projects to create 6000 jobs and reduce air pollution in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
New York, Colorado and Washington State continued climate regulations
Despite the federal government’s attempts to decrease funding and climate related programs, Washington State maintains its climate law relating to the regulation of climate emissions and reporting for businesses.
Similarly, New York and Colorado introduced bills requiring climate disclosure and greenhouse gas emissions reporting. Both bills are modelled after California’s 2023 climate disclosure rules, which require businesses to report climate emissions reports. With this, state and local levels began to promote clean energy despite conflict with federal law.
Northern District of California Judge opposed Trump’s mass firing directive
To shrink the size of the government, Trump directed a mass firing of probationary and other employees at companies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Park Service, the Small Business Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the Department of Defence, and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Judge William Alsup issued a temporary restraining order on the firing of civic employees provoked by the Trump administration and said the firing was illegal. According to CBS NEWS, Trump’s administration walked back on its original directive and claimed the federal government asked, rather than ordered, the mass firing of employees.
Farmers sued the US Department of Agriculture
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent out a directive to remove sites and resources relating to climate change from the federal site following one of Trump’s executive orders.
In response, farmers, including the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Natural Resources Defence Council, and Environmental Working Group, filed a lawsuit against the USDA at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit is a complaint and request for declaratory and injunctive relief from the unpublishing of climate resources and emphasises farmers’ reliance on these sites to access financial and technical support for conservation purposes.
In all, Trump’s orders to dismantle climate related programs and increase tariffs on aluminium and steel are now met with pushback. Companies and government officials, within the US and outside, responded to Trump and the effect of his orders with lawsuits, retaliatory tariffs and state-led climate programs.