Just 10 days into 2026, and Donald Trump has already launched a series of back-to-back attacks on the climate.
The US administration has slowly been peeling away from acknowledging its involvement in the climate crisis or tackling it, despite being the world’s second-largest annual emitter of greenhouse gases and, historically, the largest contributor to global warming.
Last year, the US didn’t send a delegate to COP30 talks, and has since scrubbed all mention of fossil fuels from its Environmental Protection Agency’s website. Meanwhile, Trump has been criticising the renewable energy boom and taking his “drill baby drill” attitude global.
So, here’s a rundown of what the POTUS has done so far, less than two weeks into 2026.
US pulls out of UN climate treaty
The POTUS was accused of “sinking to a new low” this week after pulling the US out of a key climate treatyin a sweeping withdrawal from global institutions.
In a Presidential Memorandum signed on 7 January, Trump argued it is “contrary to the interests of the US” to remain a member of, participate in, or provide support to more than 60 international organisations, treaties, and conventions.
This includes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) – which aims to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions – and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s leading authority on climate science.
“At a time when rising seas, record heat, and deadly disasters demand urgent, coordinated action, the US government is choosing to retreat,” says Rebecca Brown, President and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL).
“The decision to defund and withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) does not absolve the US of its legal obligations to prevent climate change and remedy climate harm, as the world’s highest court made clear last year.”
Controlling Venezuela’s oil
After US special forces snatched Venezuela’s President and his wife in a lightning raid, Trump has shown a clear interest in the country’s oil reserves.
Venezuela holds the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, sitting on an estimated 303 billion barrels (Bbbl) – outranking petrostates like Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Trump immediately confirmed the US would be “very strongly involved” in the country’s oil industry, with plans to send large US firms to fix Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and “start making money for the country”. In an interview on 8 January, he said the US could tap into Venezuela’s oil reserves for years.
“In an era of accelerating climate breakdown, eyeing Venezuela’s vast oil reserves this way is both reckless and dangerous,” says Mads Christensen from Greenpeace International.
“The only safe path forward is a just transition away from fossil fuels, one that protects health, safeguards ecosystems, and supports communities rather than sacrificing them for short-term profit.”
New dietary guidelines
The US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture have come under fire after releasing their 2026 dietary guidelines, which encourage American households to prioritise diets built on “whole, nutrient-dense food.”
The new food pyramid puts an image of a red steak and ground beef at the top under the “protein” section, despite the fact that beef is responsible for 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein than plant-based alternatives such as beans and lentils.
Neither of these foods appears on the food pyramid, but they are mentioned in the full dietary guidelines.
“While there are many ways to meet our protein needs, not all protein sources have the same impact on people or the planet,” says Raychel Santo, a food and climate researcher at the World Resources Institute (WRI).
“Beef and lamb, in particular, have some of the highest environmental costs of any protein-rich food — with significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water pollution per ounce of protein than most alternatives.”
Trump’s block on renewable energy
Last year, the Trump administration suspended leases on all US offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns. The move halted work on five sites, including Ørsted’s Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind farms, as well as sites owned by firms like Equinor and Dominion Energy.
It follows Trump’s constant criticism of renewable energy, which he has previously described as the “scam of the century”. But the move has had costly consequences that have slipped into the new year.
Last week, Ørsted launched a legal challenge to the US government’s suspension, arguing that it had already secured all required federal and state permits back in 2023. Its Sunrise Wind project is predicted to cost the developer upward of $1 million per day (around €859,100).
The interior department said in December that the pause would give the government “time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects”.
Trump’s interest in Greenland
Trump’s growing obsession with Greenland has triggered concerns from environmentalists over its critical mineral resources, which are seen as “essential” for the green energy transition.
A 2023 survey found that 25 of the 34 minerals deemed “critical raw materials” by the European Commission were found in Greenland. The nation is estimated to hold between 36 and 42 million metric tons of rare earth oxides, making it the second-largest reserve after China.
Tapping into these resources could help the US reduce its dependency on China, which currently processes over 90 per cent of the world’s rare earth minerals, and empower the US as demand rises.
Since his first term, Trump has been trying to tackle this issue – passing bills to increase American mineral production and stepping up deep-sea mining within both US and international waters.
However, some experts believe Greenland’s mineral reserves could just be a smokescreen for Trump’s real motives.