By Abdullahi Lukman
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at blocking enforcement of state-level climate laws that seek to reduce fossil fuel use and address environmental issues.
The decision marks a significant escalation in the administration’s push to expand domestic energy production.
The directive tasks the U.S. Attorney General with identifying and challenging state laws focused on climate change, carbon emissions, environmental justice, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives.
It follows a separate order issued the same day promoting increased coal production.
“Many States have enacted, or are in the process of enacting, burdensome and ideologically motivated ‘climate change’ or energy policies that threaten American energy dominance and our economic and national security,” the order states.
Trump, a Republican, specifically pointed to climate-related policies in states like New York and Vermont that impose fines on fossil fuel companies, California’s cap-and-trade system, and lawsuits filed by states seeking to hold energy firms liable for their role in global warming.
The move drew swift condemnation from Democratic leaders. Governors Kathy Hochul of New York and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, co-chairs of the U.S. Climate Alliance, denounced the order, stating that states have the right to pursue their own climate solutions.
“We will keep advancing solutions to the climate crisis… and make our future healthier and safer,” they said in a joint statement.
The U.S. Climate Alliance is a coalition of 24 governors committed to upholding the goals of the Paris Agreement and taking state-led action on climate change.
In contrast, the American Petroleum Institute welcomed the order.
API Senior Vice President Ryan Meyers said the group supports efforts to “hold states like New York and California accountable” for imposing what it called unconstitutional penalties on U.S. oil and gas producers.
The executive action underscores the deep political divide over climate policy in the United States, with the Trump administration continuing to prioritize fossil fuel development over environmental regulation, often clashing with Democratic-led state governments seeking to combat climate change through stricter emissions policies.