Spoiler Alert: Yes.

Right now, leaders from all over the world are gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, to take part in the 2024 United Nations Conference of the Parties – more commonly known as COP29, the 29th UN Climate Change Conference.

Donald Trump is not one of them.

And yet, he may as well be, for the specter of his forthcoming return as President of the United States already looms large in the global consciousness. Thought leaders and reporters from around the world are asking: How will Trump’s re-election impact this year’s climate talks, which are arguably the most important in the past ten years?

The answer might end up being: not much.

Although Donald Trump’s election might feel like the most important thing in the world, the truth is, he is just one man, and there are 192 other countries in the United Nations. Most of them are guided by leaders who care about climate change and want to do what it takes to achieve climate stability — with or without Trump. And this year is arguably the most important COP since the Paris climate talks in 2015 because nations are expected to commit to a new climate finance deal to the tune of hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars each year.

Here are the facts that remain true, with or without Trump:

The impacts of climate change are here and getting worse around the globe — including the United States.

Extreme weather events like heat waves and hurricanes are impacting Americans everywhere, regardless of political views. People across the country are calling for climate action. Last year alone, 2.5 million Americans had to leave their homes due to climate impacts, and there were 28 climate-related disasters, each causing over $1 billion in damages. In September, Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern U.S., claiming over 200 lives and Hurricane Milton struck just weeks later; the combined total damage of the two storms is likely more than $100 billion. This is why many UN agencies have projected the need for several trillion dollars per year in climate financing in order to prevent the worst of global warming and help countries adapt to the impacts already locked in.

And this year’s COP was always going to be challenging, given its oil-loving host.

This year’s conference will take place in Azerbaijan, a country where oil is embedded in the economy so deeply that its national symbol is a gas flame. Concerns over Azerbaijan’s ties to the fossil fuel industry were just, sadly, vindicated when an investigation uncovered that the chief executive of Azerbaijan’s COP29 team has been planning to use the talks to strike new gas deals. On top of this, the nation has a terrible human rights track record, with peaceful protests often met with violent suppression, making activism around this year’s talks challenging and potentially dangerous.

But world leaders are still at the table

COP29 is moving forward, even if a Trump-led White House resists new climate finance commitments or withholds what the U.S. already owes. While that’s a challenge, it’s not a dealbreaker. A finance agreement won’t hinge solely on the U.S., which has often lagged behind on climate action under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Other countries need to step up, just as they have in the past.

History shows us that most nations stayed the course in 2001 when Bush pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol, and again in 2016 when Trump exited the Paris Agreement. The majority of governments understand the threat climate change poses and are committed to tackling it. Nearly 200 countries continued working on climate during the first Trump Presidency — collaborating with many U.S. states — and this will continue during his second term. Across the G20, supporters of climate action outnumber opponents by nearly 8 to 1. There are cities, states, and businesses in the United States who are ready to step up should President Trump vacate the global stage. 

And no matter what, the world is moving to clean and renewable energy

During Trump’s first term, the U.S. saw a surge in wind and solar energy, attracting $55.5 billion in renewable investments in 2019 alone — even in the face of his anti-renewable stance. Ironically, it was during this time that clean energy investments began to surpass fossil fuel investments. Over the past eight years, funding for wind and solar has doubled compared to oil, gas, and coal. Globally, renewable energy is expected to expand 2.7 times by 2030, with the International Energy Agency calling this growth “unprecedented.” The next four years will see an explosion of innovation, investments and developments because affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity is in everyone’s interest. 

Plus, Joe Biden is still U.S. President with time to take action.

Trump doesn’t take office until January 20, 2025. President Joe Biden still has two and a half months to do everything he can on climate. That includes lending his support to a strong climate finance deal during this month’s global climate talks.

What’s next for CCAN Action Fund?

Here at CCAN Action Fund, we’re well aware that our job has, in many important ways, gotten harder now that Trump has been elected. We’re nervous about his promises to greenlight fossil fuels and the efforts to crack down on protesters.

But we also believe that those clouds have a silver lining. That’s because, everywhere except in the White House, government officials know they need to step up their game. We saw this during Trump’s first term. Shortly after Trump was elected president of the United States, the Maryland state legislature took the unprecedented step of banning fracking: the first state in the country to do so legislatively. CCAN Action Fund was there. Shortly thereafter, Washington, D.C., passed the strongest clean electricity law in the nation. CCAN Action Fund was there. Then, we put Virginia on the path to 100% clean energy with the Clean Economy Act. CCAN Action Fund was there. 

We have seen people turn out in unprecedented numbers to get involved in the fight against global warming. And we have seen local and state leaders step up with the aim to lead the nation. 

That is why we believe that it will happen again, worldwide, as leaders notice the Trump-shaped void at the negotiating table during global climate talks. We hope that everyone will see this moment for what it truly is: an opportunity to show that we do care, to step up and take leadership, and to grapple with the urgent challenges that climate change presents.

We’re ready. 

As world leaders meet in Azerbaijan for the UN climate talks, we’re building up our movement here in the Chesapeake region and around the nation. Sign up to volunteer with us today!