Anti-climate measures a setback for the world, and the US: Experts

US President Donald Trump launched multiple fronts in his anti-climate action campaign on Jan 21 by announcing his country's withdrawal from the United Nations Paris Agreement, pledging to maximize US oil and gas production, and vowing to roll back support for wind farms and electric vehicles.

- David Fogarty

But while Mr Trump regards fossil fuels as key to the nation's prosperity and lower energy prices, his steps are likely to cause economic harm to the US by giving other countries the competitive edge in the US$2 trillion (S$2.72 trillion) clean energy economy, experts say.

Worse, doubling down on fossil fuels will create more deadly air pollution at home and cause more greenhouse gas pollution, fuelling climate change.

Globally, the effects of climate change – such as wildfires and more intense storms – are worsening, with 2024 having been the hottest year on record.

The 10 hottest years since 1850 have occurred in the past decade, according to the US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

And the US has been hit hard by extreme weather events.

Wildfires exacerbated by climate change devastated Los Angeles recently and back-to-back hurricanes in September and October 2024 caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage in Florida, the President's home state.

The Paris Agreement is the UN's main pact to fight climate change. Mr Trump exited the pact during his first presidential term. It will take about a year for the latest withdrawal to take effect.

"I am immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off," he said to cheering supporters at a Washington sports arena after being sworn in.

"The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity," he said, referring to the world's top greenhouse polluter.

But China is also the world's top investor in renewable energy and top exporter of green technology, such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.