US Clean Energy Transition and Implications for Geopolitics
Jonathan Elkind
Abstract
As the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs), the United States is a vital part of any effective global response to climate change. U.S. efforts on climate and clean energy will likewise have important implications for the country’s geopolitical interests. At present, the United States is struggling to develop and implement national policies that provide climate solutions with sufficient speed, scale, and durability. The U.S. Administration of President Donald Trump has shown skepticism about, and even hostility toward, the need for a clean energy transition. Many of the 50 U.S. states and even more municipalities, meanwhile, have continued to focus on reducing their energy-related emissions through a variety of policies and measures. Whether and when the current national political divisions over climate can be overcome is not yet clear. In a time of complicated geopolitics, the country’s global standing will be materially affected by the answer to that question, as will its ability to work with international partners on other global challenges.