Trump may have rattled clean tech, but the energy transition rolls on
Despite policy rollbacks and market jitters, key sectors in clean energy and automation are finding new paths to grow in a shifting global landscape.
Active investment is challenging at the best of times, but the Trump presidency has added a new level of complexity to this global task.
A bold policy agenda, coupled with an unconventional and unpredictable approach, is creating significant uncertainty in the US and beyond. This is particularly true when it comes to the outlook for technologies such as clean energy and electric vehicles, as well as broader efforts to decarbonise the economy.
Some observers believe Trump’s return to power spells disaster for sustainability-themed investment, citing his long-held aversion to wind turbines and his pledge to roll back the Inflation Reduction Act. Such concerns may seem valid in light of the flurry of executive actions in his first weeks back in office, which have focused on promoting fossil fuel energy and cutting government support for sustainable technologies.
But it is a mischaracterisation to suggest that Trump’s policies will halt the growth of transition-aligned industries. While his actions — and undoubtedly others still to come — will slow some sectors in the US and create ongoing uncertainty globally, the structural forces driving the global economy toward greater efficiency and sustainability are not going away.
