Trump, German Government Chaos, and Why We Shouldn’t Lose Hope in Global Climate Politics

These are dark times for anyone working in the field of climate policy and it’s difficult not to succumb to pessimism. As if the regular reports of record-breaking, climate-driven natural disasters aren’t enough, populist governments and movements are flourishing, putting the brakes on climate policy in countries around the world. The re-election of Donald Trump is an especially alarming development. While President Biden managed to make up for the loss of confidence in US climate policy by pledging to boost climate finance and passing his ambitious Inflation Reduction Act, Trump's election has plunged the global climate science and policy community into uncertainty.