When U.S. voters go to the polls in November to pick the country’s next president, they will also be choosing between two possible futures: one in which the U.S. tackles the climate crisis at home and is an active partner in multilateral efforts to do so abroad; the other in which the country retreats from global climate agreements and domestic environmental policies, and doubles down on the use of fossil fuels.
The first would represent a continuation and expansion of President Joe Biden’s agenda on climate change and energy policies, which Vice President Kamala Harris—the Democratic nominee—has adopted as her own. The second would be the agenda of former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, should he return to the White House.
A departure from current U.S. policies would have far-reaching global consequences, especially when a path toward net zero carbon emissions that avoids the worst projected climate scenarios is attainable and economically beneficial.