Trump’s 20 Most Harmful Actions Against the Environment

By Evan Comen  •  September 17, 2025
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On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed 26 executive orders, the most of any president in U.S. history. Among those executive orders were some of the most important environmental policies ever enacted, with consequences that could impact the climate for centuries to come.

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In the months that followed, Trump has taken dozens of significant actions against the environment, both directly and indirectly. His administration has worked to repeal regulations on fossil fuels, expanded offshore drilling, actively shut down renewable energy projects, and imposed tariffs that will slow the global transition to clean energy. While the Trump administration aims to cut $1.7 billion in funding from the NOAA, citing cost savings for the American taxpayer, climate scientists warn that the subsequent increase in billion-dollar weather disasters will cost much, much more. A review of Trump’s second term reveals the Trump administration’s 20 most harmful actions against the environment.

To determine Trump’s 20 most harmful actions against the environment, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed policy trackers, press releases, and other online sources. Both pending and in-effect actions were ranked based on total estimated environmental impact.

20. EPA invites waivers on mercury and hazardous pollutants

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

  • Date: March 26, 2025
  • Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
  • Effect: Invites coal and oil plants to apply for exemptions to limits on mercury and other toxic pollutants.
 

19. Trump administration cancels funding for National Climate Assessment consortium

Photo by David Everett Strickler on Unsplash

  • Date: April 9, 2025
  • Agency: White House
  • Effect: Cancels funding for US Global Change Research Program that publishes the National Climate Assessment.
 

18. Trump’s budget eliminates NOAA climate research

Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

  • Date: April 11, 2025
  • Agency: NOAA
  • Effect: Eliminates NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, ending federal climate, weather, ocean, and air quality research.
 

17. The "Regulatory Freeze Pending Review" memorandum

Photo by Suzy Brooks on Unsplash

  • Date: January 20, 2025
  • Agency: White House
  • Effect: Freezes pending climate, clean air, and consumer protections.
 

16. Attacks on climate and clean energy investments

Photo by Andreas Gücklhorn on Unsplash

  • Date: January 20, 2025
  • Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
  • Effect: Freezes funds from IRA and IIJA and reassesses climate and clean energy programs.
 

15. Interior explores seabed mineral leasing offshore American Samoa

Photo by Jason Boyd on Pexels

  • Date: June 12, 2025
  • Agency: Department of the Interior
  • Effect: Explores leasing offshore waters for mineral extraction, threatening marine ecosystems and dependent communities.
 

14. Interior proposes removing coal mining oversight standards

Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels

  • Date: June 12, 2025
  • Agency: Department of the Interior
  • Effect: Proposal to remove coal mining oversight standards implemented in 2024.
 

13. Interior Department weakens offshore mineral extraction standards

Photo by matt brown on Unsplash

  • Date: June 25, 2025
  • Agency: Department of the Interior
  • Effect: Undermines reviews, extends permits, reducing oversight and protections for offshore extraction.
 

12. Interior Department rolls back mining standards and expands mining areas

Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash

  • Date: June 3, 2025
  • Agency: Department of the Interior
  • Effect: Rolls back 18 rules protecting wilderness from mining and removes incentives for geothermal energy.
 

11. DOE issues the first LNG export authorization

Photo by Zetong Li on Unsplash

  • Date: February 14, 2025
  • Agency: Department of Energy
  • Effect: Authorizes Commonwealth LNG project despite DOE report warning of increased climate pollution and costs.
 

10. U.S. Government makes liquified natural gas deal with foreign energy company

Photo by Odile on Unsplash

  • Date: June 11, 2025
  • Agency: Department of Energy
  • Effect: 20-year LNG export deal with Japan, increasing destructive gas production and climate pollution.
 

9. Resumes LNG permitting

Photo by ds_30 on Pixabay

  • Date: January 20, 2025
  • Agency: Department of Energy
  • Effect: Expedites LNG export terminal approval despite analysis showing higher costs and climate pollution.
 

8. Forcing dirty power plants to stay open

Photo by Lee Lawson on Unsplash

  • Date: June 1, 2025
  • Agency: Department of Energy
  • Effect: Emergency orders force coal and fossil fuel plants set to retire to stay open, raising pollution and energy bills.
 

7. EPA head releases 31-rollback hit list

Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash

  • Date: March 14, 2025
  • Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
  • Effect: Plan to dismantle federal air quality and carbon pollution rules across 31 actions.
 

6. EPA halts enforcement of pollution rules at energy facilities

Photo by hector espinoza on Unsplash

  • Date: March 14, 2025
  • Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
  • Effect: Compliance office halts enforcement of pollution rules on energy facilities, barring environmental justice considerations.
 

5. EPA proposes removing standards on mercury and other air toxics

Photo by Maxim Tolchinskiy on Unsplash

  • Date: June 11, 2025
  • Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
  • Effect: Proposed rule to overturn limits on mercury and toxic air pollutants from coal plants.
 

4. EPA proposes removing standards on carbon pollution from power plants

Photo by Julia Koblitz on Unsplash

  • Date: June 11, 2025
  • Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
  • Effect: Proposal to overturn Carbon Pollution Standards for coal and gas-fired plants, major drivers of climate change.
 

3. Opens 13 million acres in Alaska for oil and gas drilling

Photo by Joris Beugels on Unsplash

  • Date: June 2, 2025
  • Agency: Department of the Interior
  • Effect: Interior announces repeal of protections on 13 million acres in Alaska, opening them for oil and gas drilling.
 

2. Expands offshore oil drilling

Photo by Josephus Bajo on Unsplash

  • Date: January 20, 2025
  • Agency: Department of the Interior
  • Effect: Reopens U.S. coastlines to offshore drilling.
 

1. Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement

Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash

  • Date: January 20, 2025
  • Agency: White House
  • Effect: Reverses U.S. commitment to tackling climate change and reducing pollution.
 

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