Trump, With Tariffs and Threats, Tries to Strong-Arm Nations to Retreat on Climate Goals

The New York Times ^ | Aug. 27, 2025, 12:40 p.m. ET | Lisa Friedman

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The president has made no secret of his distaste for wind and solar in America. Now he’s taking his fossil fuel agenda overseas.

President Trump is not only working to stop a transition away from fossil fuels in the United States, he is pressuring other countries to relax their pledges to fight climate change and instead burn more oil, gas and coal.

Mr. Trump, who has joined with Republicans in Congress to shred federal support for electric vehicles and for solar and wind energy, is applying tariffs, levies and other mechanisms of the world’s biggest economy to induce other countries to burn more fossil fuels. His animus is particularly focused on the wind industry, which is a well-established and growing source of electricity in several European countries as well as in China and Brazil.

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he was trying to educate other nations. “I’m trying to have people learn about wind real fast, and I think I’ve done a good job, but not good enough because some countries are still trying,” Mr. Trump said. He said countries were “destroying themselves” with wind energy and said, “I hope they get back to fossil fuels.”

Two weeks ago, the administration promised to punish countries — by applying tariffs, visa restrictions and port fees — that vote for a global agreement to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector.

Days later in Geneva, the Trump administration joined Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries to oppose limits on the production of petroleum-based plastics, which have exploded in use in recent years and are polluting waterways, harming wildlife and have even been detected in the human brain.

[kiryandil]

Gaslight Media climate propagandist Lisa Friedman weighs in from The New Jerk Slimes.

[kiryandil]

Gaslight Media climate propagandist Lisa Friedman weighs in from The New Jerk Slimes.

[kiryandil]

Gaslight Media climate propagandist Lisa Friedman weighs in from The New Jerk Slimes.

[Sacajaweau]

Imagine what Kamala would have done. We’d be living in tents with cow dung for cooking and heating.

[kiryandil]

Thrice

[Alas Babylon!]

I’m glad to hear this. The global warmists theories should be on the ash heap of science misdirection.

[Jim W N]

Airhead Lisa Friedman, The Lying New York Times, the Radical Left and their delusional and mindless climate agenda.

Somebody needs to liquidate their goals into oblivion.

[PGR88]

“Climate Goals” is one of the foundational lies of neo-marxist, globalist ideology

Its so broad and undefined there are no rational definitions, only political interpretations

energy is the base of every economy and even money, because energy must be expended to produce anything

It can be used to create counterfeit money (for example, carbon credits) which will support vast networks of crony financiers, NGOs, and government agents.

[Texas Eagle]

FUNYT

[rfp1234]

Delay the next Ice Age? Sounds good.

[Ex-Con777]

The NYT is free to totally stop its own use of hydrocarbons. There is no such thing a fermented dinosaur guts.

They are free to fund solar panels and a windmill on top of their building. Good luck with the permits. I hope they all live within walking distance of work.

EC

[Ex-Con777]

The NYT is free to totally stop its own use of hydrocarbons. There is no such thing a fermented dinosaur guts.

They are free to fund solar panels and a windmill on top of their building. Good luck with the permits. I hope they all live within walking distance of work.

EC

[Common Sense 101]

How in the hell can you “strong arm” countries into retreating on arbitrary climate goals they already have no intention of meeting in the first place?

[Robert DeLong]

The biggest offenders, do not have to retreat, because they ignore the lies. Another lie that is only adhered to the lies, are the nations that are committing suicide. So, kudos to Trump for trying to stem the insanity.

[sjmjax]

Windmills are like strippers.
They stop performing when you stop throwing money at them.

[Racketeer]

If climate is a long term entity, knowing we had projections of the coming ice age in the 70’s and global warming in the late 90’s, where exactly do we stand now?

I know my tree farms love high levels of carbon dioxide.

[roadcat]

Imagine what Kamala would have done. We’d be living in tents with cow dung for cooking and heating.

Nope. Tents are made from petroleum products. Kamala is not capable of doing anything. She would just encourage theft; if you want something just take it from someone else and don't worry about being jailed.

[Racketeer]

Is their any way to make the New York Times completely carbon based energy free tomorrow? Surely it can be done and the NYT can tell us how great it is to be so free, right?

[iamgalt]

On the other hand maybe we just stand back and let the idiots ruin their economies while we prosper in comfort and cheap, plentiful energy.