“Indeed, ‘one set of eyes reading these passages will be those of the 47th President of the United States’ (Project 2025, 2022). Project 2025 is a policy agenda published by The Heritage Foundation, an ultraconservative policy research institute led by Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, in 2022. This agenda is a far-right wishlist of proposals that its authors encourage Trump to implement in his current second term. These policies focus on an overhaul of the federal government, which would detrimentally affect agencies responsible for protecting the environment. According to a CNN article published on January 31, 2025, President Donald Trump stated he had not read Project 2025; however, more than two thirds of his early executive orders align with its proposals. Additionally, in his Sept. 10 debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris, he disavowed Project 2025 and stated he had “nothing to do with it, but it had some good and bad ideas.” Some of these “ideas” that could destroy our environment include dismantling environmental agencies, promoting fossil fuel development and weakening environmental justice initiatives.
Stripping power from federal agencies is one of Project 2025 plans that would detrimentally affect the environment. The agencies that would be stripped of power include the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, removing these would shift the environment’s oversight to state governments where the regulations are weaker and more susceptible to industry influence. According to a Washington Postarticle published on February 3, 2025, this agenda calls for rolling back emissions regulations, gutting clean water protections, and cutting funding for climate programs. These changes would accelerate pollution and also allow corporations to bypass restrictions because of the need for “economic growth”.
Another objective of Project 2025 is the rapid expansion of fossil fuel development. Project 2025 advocates for lifting restrictions on oil, coal, and natural gas production while getting rid of federal incentives for renewable energy. In a speech on January 27, 2025, President Trump stated he wanted to make the U.S. “energy dominant” by removing what he called “job-killing regulations,” echoing Project 2025’s recommendations. Even though there is going to be no point in jobs if we have a world that’s not habitable. If implemented, these policies would drastically increase greenhouse gas emissions, worsening climate change and increasing extreme weather events.
Project 2025 also wants to get rid of environmental justice initiatives made to protect specific communities from pollution. Executive orders that aid communities most affected by environmental hazards would be canceled and this would also eliminate federal programs that address environmental racism. These measures would allow money hungry industries to operate without regard for the safety of populations that are less fortunate, harming low-income and minority communities already suffering from high pollution exposure.
With President Trump in office we have already seen some executive orders scarily similar to Project 2025 policies , heightening the possibility that these environmentally damaging proposals will be enacted. By dismantling environmental protections, prioritizing fossil fuel interests, and disregarding communities most at risk, Project 2025 threatens to undo decades of progress in climate policy, causing us to face the consequences.
Sources:
American Civil Liberties Union. (2022). Project 2025, Explained. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/project-2025-explained
Collinson, S. (2025, January 31). Trump said he hadn’t read Project 2025 – but most of his early executive actions overlap with its proposals. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/31/politics/trump-policy-project-2025-executive-orders-invs/index.html
Heritage Foundation. (2023). Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise. Project 2025. Retrieved from https://www.heritage.org/press/project-2025-publishes-comprehensive-policy-guide-mandate-leadership-the-conservative-promise
NPR. (2025, January 22). Trump’s national energy emergency: A boost for fossil fuels, a setback for renewables. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5269717/trump-energy-emergency-climate
The Guardian. (2025, February 3). Trump’s war on clean energy and big oil’s influence. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/03/trump-war-on-clean-energy-big-oil
The Washington Post. (2025, February 3). Project 2025’s environmental rollback: A blueprint for deregulation. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/03/project-2025-environment-deregulation
Reuters. (2025, January 27). Trump’s energy policy speech: A return to fossil fuel dominance. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idRW483820012025RP1
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