When it comes to climate and energy policies, we shouldn’t be shocked by any news coming out of Washington these days. But no doubt there is collective shock that the Trump administration has repealed the US government’s power to regulate climate change. Nearly 17 years after the Environmental Protection Agency declared that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threaten the public’s health and welfare, the agency on Thursday rescinded the endangerment finding, the landmark legal opinion underpinning a wave of federal policies aimed at climate change. The Washington Post wrote: “The announcement represents more than just the latest in a litany of rollbacks of climate and environmental safeguards by Trump, who has referred to climate change as “a hoax” and a “scam.” Rather, it marks the culmination of years of effort by conservative and industry groups to undermine the cornerstone of federal rules that limit greenhouse gases — and to hamper future administrations from putting them back in place after Trump.”
From the same Washington Post article: “There is no way to reconcile EPA’s decision with the law, the science, and the reality of disasters that are hitting us harder every year,” Abbie Dillen, the president of the legal group Earthjustice, said in a statement. “This is a slap in the face for all of the millions of Americans who are experiencing the devastating costs of extreme heat, wildfires, flooding, and storms. Earthjustice and our partners will see the Trump administration in court.” Slap in the face is an understatement.
The same day, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) announced a new hub designed to reimagine how the government tackles “wicked” modern problems while delivering everyday benefits for Americans. Called the Center for Regulatory Ingenuity (CRI), the initiative aims to create high-trust brainstorming environments and a network of experts that policymakers can turn to. “Today’s rollback of the endangerment finding underscores that we are in a new era for U.S. climate policy,” said Hannah Safford, associate director of climate and environment at FAS. “To be clear: there’s no credible scientific basis for that rollback, which FAS strongly opposes.” The FAS was established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb and it continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges.
In preparing for the next climate summit, COP31, host Turkey has “taken the baton” this week. The Financial Times reports that the “UN is seeking to draw corporate leaders back to global climate talks, arguing that the summit process is entering a “new era” that is focused less on pledges and will bring more opportunities for investment. . . . Speaking in Turkey on Thursday, Murat Kurum, the incoming president of the COP31 to be held in Antalya, said this year’s summit would focus on “concrete results” including investment commitments. “Investment, policy alignment, and concrete implementations supported by public and private sector collaborations will be prioritised,” he said. In launching its effort in Antalya, the Turkish hosts failed to mention the central issue of a so- called roadmap to transition from fossil fuels.”
Many relevant events are coming up – you can see the latest list in a post this week. If you know of an upcoming event that EiD readers should know about, please contact us.
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here are some useful ideas to help you along:
- The Man in Seat Sixty-One explains how to travel comfortably & affordably by train or ferry, rediscovering the pleasure, romance & adventure of the journey.
- Check out the Good Night Train website for the unique way to travel through Europe while you sleep. See EiD’s recent post on why Europe’s night-train renaissance has derailed.
- World Walks provides us with walking holidays in Europe.
- For those who want to combine hiking with food and wine in Europe and Australia, check out the Hedonistic Hiking website. Watch their slide presentation for available tours in 2026.
- Cycling for Softies provides us with the 15 best cycling holidays in Europe in 2026.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), the 32nd US President, provides us with an important message of how we should treat each other: “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fibre of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- European Investment Bank’s energy efficiency for SMEs initiative is on track to surpass its targets
- New EEA report on value of rail as a low-emission alternative for moving people and goods in Europe
- Denying the danger: why climate change is a public health emergency
- Designed for a different climate: why our cities are now at risk
- Kicked down the road: Britain’s £12bn energy efficiency delay
- Rewriting the rules of climate science: AI, indigenous knowledge and the future of the IPCC
- Taking stock of energy efficiency measures under Trump
- From ecofatigue to action: how art and science together can cut plastic waste
- Accountability from below: how Ghanaian communities are holding extractive companies to account
- Electric motors in Europe: a no brainer for accelerating replacement
- New energy law adopted in France — major shift in strategy
Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 