President Donald Trump’s reelection is undoubtedly a blow to U.S. climate and environmental action. We expect the administration to pull out of international climate treaties, roll back protections for clean water and air, double down on fossil fuels and more. Some communities could see federal disaster aid withheld, even as fires, floods and storms continue to escalate. 

Yet all hope is not lost. During Trump’s first term, U.S. states, cities, businesses and tribes took up the mantle of climate leadership and will likely do so again. Clean energy is already a booming industry in the U.S., with many red states seeing the biggest benefits. And other climate-friendly industries, like carbon removal, have bipartisan support. 

With so much at stake, experts from WRI U.S. break down what to expect come January — and why there are still several opportunities for progress. 

Countries are on course to blow past their goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C, which will usher in increasingly devastating and irreversible climate impacts. New research from Systems Change Labs shows what needs to happen in the next 10 years to make a rapid U-turn and keep this target within reach.

Denmark’s agriculture and climate policy is the world’s most comprehensive to date. It shows how countries can take real action to tackle planet-warming emissions from food and livestock — major polluters that have been overlooked for too long. 

Global biodiversity talks ended on Nov. 2 in gridlock, with leaders failing to clarify how they will mobilize the hundreds of billions of dollars needed for nature protection. Still, the summit offered an important reality check on the world’s biodiversity efforts to date and what’s needed next. 

One of the biggest questions at this year’s UN climate summit is which countries should help fund climate action in developing nations. WRI analysis looked at who might be responsible based on past and current greenhouse gas emissions as well as national income.