US President-elect Donald Trump nominated Chris Wright, an oil executive, to head Department of Energy, an appointment that will directionally push fossil fuel interests ahead of renewables.
In effect, the Energy Secretary will be implementing an agenda developed by the oil lobby, American Petroleum Institute (API) that targets slowing down or reversing Biden’s energy reforms and environmental controls that favoured renewable energy.
Trump’s huge electoral mandate was mainly on economy, jobs, and affordable cost of living. Climate change was nowhere on the campaign menu.
Oil and gas production will be increased to give USA control in global markets, with enhanced influence on prices and geopolitics.
The API anticipates removal of preferential subsidies for renewables investments and specifically electric vehicle (EV) prices. The lobby is expected to support imposition of tariffs on imports of renewable energy technology and goods.
The major unknown is the influence of Elon Musk, an emergent influential player in Trump government who has been appointed to co-head the new department of “government efficiency.”
Musk is a major player in US and global EV and energy storage markets including China, and I bet the Chinese will use Musk’s influence to their advantage. Yes, Musk is likely to emerge as Trump’s ambassador at large, especially in “difficult” countries.
As Trump was appointing his new pro-fossil fuels administrator, at Baku COP29 was displaying its waning capacity to effectively sustain global climate agenda.
COP forums, routinely hosted by oil producing countries, are focusing less and less on carbon emissions, choosing to dwell on broader energy transition agenda and climate finance for impacted nations.
With Trump in office, future USA participation in COP forums or climate programs like climate finance are expected to be minimal, if any.
On a more positive note, I believe that renewables technologies have achieved an irreversible global momentum, and it is a matter of time before they catch up with fossil fuels. It is this timing which will remain subject of global debate. The return of Trump has only slowed down this momentum.
Back to Kenya. We need common sense approach to climate agenda. We cannot significantly influence global climate trends, but we can choose options that directly add value to Kenya, which is what every country including USA and China are doing.
It is regrettable, that Kenya is sitting on its oil and coal resources when we are importing the same, and as every country in the world continues to expand their production.
Ultimately, it should be jobs, affordable cost of living, food security and home-grown resilience against impacts of climate change.
