Trump’s plan to roll back efforts to combat climate change worries advocates in Arizona

Climate-induced weather disasters include record wildfires in the West, record-setting heat waves and droughts, and aggressive hurricanes. Here, smoke plumes and hurricane clouds are visible at once. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

A coalition of progressive Arizona organizations shared their concerns Thursday about President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to roll back efforts to combat climate change. 

Trump has vowed to roll back portions of the Inflation Reduction Act, which has billions of dollars in investments for clean energy projects and climate related policies. The IRA includes $370 billion in investments that seek to promote clean energy and reduce energy costs for consumers. 

The Biden administration crafted lofty climate goals, such as reaching 100% carbon pollution-free energy by 2035, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. As one of his last acts as president, Biden made it harder to roll back $74 billion in approved funding, though Trump could still scrap an additional $20 billion. 

“The data is clear: Rolling back climate policies would be a bad deal for Arizonans,” Dora Vasquez, executive director of the Arizona Alliance of Retired Americans, said at Thursday’s press conference. 

Vasquez pointed to the increase in heat-related deaths combined with the increasing number of consecutive days over 100 degrees as an example of the health impacts of climate change seen locally in the state. Tax rebates for homeowners to install more energy efficient cooling systems that are part of the IRA is something Vasquez and others said needs to be protected going forward. 

“While these programs are already helping many across Arizona, the future of these programs is uncertain,” Vasquez said. “Let’s ensure that these benefits remain in place for years to come.”

Last year, the planet saw the hottest July in 175 years, the summer of 2023 was the hottest summer since 1880 and stronger hurricanes are starting earlier than ever recorded. A report released last year confirmed that human-driven climate change is driving the all-time highs with the world inching closer to a point of no return. 

“It is to the point where, as a young person, I can’t really know if I’m going to have a future in this state because I don’t know if we will have water,” Ojas Sanghi, co-lead of the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition in Tucson said. “That weighs on my mind constantly.”

Sanghi said that many of his peers have “eco-anxiety” over what some see as a hopeless cause due to inaction and rising climate related issues, adding that it has “very severe mental health impacts.” 

But Sanghi also said he believes that there is some hope. With the incentives in the IRA to prioritize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and creating green jobs, he said there is an opportunity to roll back the tide — but that can only happen if those policies remain in place. 

“That sort of a better future, the Inflation Reduction Act is the key to that future,” Sanghi said. 

The group of advocates also argued that continuing the IRA’s climate investments will translate to better health outcomes and ultimately better economic outcomes for Arizona families. It’s not just individuals and families who are taking advantage of the IRA’s incentives, but businesses both small and large. 

“Making it clear to elected officials, especially Congress, that if they roll back some of these provisions, they are going to undermine decisions businesses are making in their communities,” Will Humble, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association said.  

Initiatives meant to combat climate change have often faced steep opposition due to costs that have led to disagreements on the exact price tag of tackling the issue. However, the price of inaction has also been found to have negative implications for the economy. 

“We are going to see a difference in how the consumers see the cost of climate investments once they see that impact and experience it,” Vasquez said, adding that, in order to see those impacts, time needs to be given for them to take effect, something that could not be seen if the provisions are rolled back. 

“A lot of the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act will be seen down the road,” said Sandy Bahr, director of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club. Bahr added that seeing reductions in utility costs due to changes in the climate is a direct impact consumers can readily see. 

Trump has signaled that he may keep certain climate related provisions of the IRA when he takes office, but has already signaled that he will seek to repeal others. 

“I’m just encouraging everyone to not lose hope,” Humble said, adding that they will now be on the defense as opposed to the offense on climate related issues. “If we give up now and don’t go on defense they are going to run all over us.”