America's New Climate Policy - Adapt or Die
May 8, 2025
There wasn't much doubt before, but Donald Trump's first 100 days back in office have proven that federal climate action is again stalled at a critical moment. With Republicans controlling both the House and Senate that is unlikely to change anytime soon. Which means businesses, not government, will likely lead the next phase of climate adaptation in America.
The world has already surpassed 1.5°C of warming, and the UN’s latest reports warn that the window to limit catastrophic outcomes is closing fast. Meanwhile, Trump has moved to withdraw from the Paris Agreement again, and the administration has rolled back key environmental regulations under the banner of “energy dominance” and “economic freedom.”
Without strong federal leadership, companies are being forced to confront climate risks on their own. Modern disasters, intensified by a record-breaking 2024 storm season, are making it harder to maintain stable operations, especially in high-risk regions like Florida, California, and parts of the Midwest. Employees can’t do their best work, or work at all, if their homes are flooded, the grid is down, or supply chains are disrupted.
Forward looking companies and major corporations have already started incorporating climate risk into their business strategies, adjusting hiring, investments, and infrastructure decisions. Some states, like California and New York, are pushing ahead with their own regulations, but the gap at the federal level leaves most of the burden on private enterprise.
The corporate response is unlikely to be altruistic. While leading companies like Patagonia and Google continue to invest in sustainable solutions, most businesses will act out of necessity, not values. Their focus will be on securing assets, protecting supply chains, and trying to stabilize their workforces.
This pattern echoes the cybersecurity landscape of Trump’s first term, when deregulation left companies footing the bill for protecting themselves against rising threats. (Even the much needed CVE program was only barely spared.) Similarly, we can expect businesses to bear rising climate costs, from subsidizing employee relocations to building climate-resilient hubs, without federal support.
Some major industries, including automakers and energy firms, have pushed back against sweeping deregulation, especially as it is combined with a chaotic tariff based economic strategy, if one dares to call it a strategy. Instead, even these firms often seen as opposed to climate efforts seek regulatory consistency and the long-term financial benefits that come with it. Nonetheless, the broader trend remains: companies and individuals must prepare to navigate climate challenges largely alone.
The impacts will be uneven, hitting the most vulnerable communities hardest until, inevitably, disaster forces broader action. In the meantime, adaptation - not prevention - will define America's climate response.
