Biden Trump-proofs $74bn in climate funding but $20bn remains vulnerable

Source: The Guardian

Tue 14 Jan 2025 06.00 EST
Last modified on Tue 14 Jan 2025 06.04 EST


The Biden administration has raced to allocate $74bn of funding for climate initiatives before Donald Trump’s inauguration, leaving $20bn vulnerable to potential rollback by the incoming president, new figures reveal. As the inauguration of Trump looms, the outgoing administration has been accelerating its allocation of cash for climate change and clean energy programs before they are throttled by the incoming US president.

Laden with funds from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Biden administration is rushing to lock in support for renewable power, electric vehicles, batteries and other initiatives aimed at combating the climate crisis in a way that Trump cannot easily axe.

Trump has vowed to kill off what he calls the “green new scam and rescind all of the unspent funds” once he becomes president on 20 January. “That will be such an honor,” the president-elect said on the campaign trail, calling the climate bill “the greatest scam in the history of any country”.

While Trump will be able to stymie unallocated spending, funding already committed will be difficult to claw back. The Biden administration has therefore been racing to push out money to make it Trump-proof, having now allocated $74bn of IRA funding, according to figures provided by Atlas Public Policy.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/14/biden-trump-climate-change-funds