The Climate Action Tracker’s unprecedented downgrade of the United States to “Critically Insufficient,” accompanied by US President Donald Trump’s speech at UNGA80, paints a stark picture of divergence at a time when unity is paramount.
As world leaders gather for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), with the climate crisis at the top of the agenda, a sobering analysis casts a long shadow over the proceedings.
The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) has taken the unprecedented step of downgrading the United States’ climate rating to “Critically Insufficient”, the most significant policy rollback the consortium has ever documented.
This move marks a dramatic reversal for a nation that, just years prior, had sought to reclaim leadership in the global fight against climate change as witnessed under the era of Joe Biden, who led the conversations urging for collective action.
The report depicts a methodical unraveling of federal climate architecture under the Trump Administration. The withdrawal from the Paris Agreement effectively annulled the previous administration’s 2030 and 2050 targets that had been set upon consensus with the global nations.
The reversal goes deeper, targeting the very mechanisms designed to spur a green transition: incentives for renewables and electric vehicles are being phased out, while regulations on power plant emissions are repealed. This policy shift, the CAT finds, will slow U.S. emission reductions to a crawl, placing the world’s largest historical emitter even further off track from a 1.5°C-aligned pathway.
“This is the most aggressive, comprehensive, and consequential climate policy rollback the CAT has ever analysed,” said Professor Niklas Höhne of the NewClimate Institute, a CAT partner organization.
The sentiment was echoed by his colleague, Finn Hossfeld, who called the speed and systematic nature of the changes “shocking,” noting they proceed “in defiance of clear market signals.”
Implications for Global Dynamics
The U.S. reversal creates a dangerous vacuum and a stark geopolitical contrast. As the report notes, the American retreat coincides with China aggressively ramping up production of renewable energy and electric vehicles.
This divergence risks not only environmental but also economic consequences that will cut across, affecting millions globally.
“The Trump Administration’s massive support for expanding fossil fuels means the U.S. is being left behind,” said Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, the other CAT partner. “This could become a fossil fuel industry-inspired debacle for the U.S. economy.”
The analysis details a pivot towards fossil fuel expansion that includes using emergency powers to accelerate drilling on federal lands, promoting new coal-fired power generation, and locking in decades of emissions from natural gas plants.
At a time when the U.S. is experiencing record-breaking climate impacts, from wildfires to intense storms, the report describes a government prioritizing fossil fuels with what authors label a “complete disregard for long-term climate consequences.”
A Glimmer of Hope and the UNGA80 Challenge
Amid the grim assessment, the report identifies a “sliver of good news”: the determination of numerous state governments to continue decarbonization efforts despite shifts in geopolitical tensions.
This subnational resilience highlights a fragmented American response, presenting a complex challenge for international partners.
The CAT’s findings present a fundamental challenge for the diplomatic community at UNGA80. How can a global agreement function when one of its most pivotal signatories actively reverses course?
The story of U.S. climate policy is no longer one of ambition, but of a deep divergence between federal and state action, between past promises and present actions, and between the U.S. and the prevailing direction of the global economy.
The world is watching to see how this divergence will be navigated in the halls of the United Nations.
