Trump’s victory presents a dilemma and an opportunity, according to over 400 sustainability leaders

In Wednesday’s Trellis Briefing, we asked readers: “How will you respond to the results of the 2024 election?” In just two days, 406 responded. 

That volume of participation is in itself an indicator of how significant, and unsettling, the victory of Donald Trump and the takeover of the U.S. Senate by Republicans are for sustainability professionals. 

Below is a brief recap of the results. The upshot? Sustainability professionals are resilient and adaptable. It’s a fundamental requirement of the job, now more than ever.

Here’s what they told us:

• The majority of respondents, 54 percent, chose the multiple choice answer “Work realistically within the existing power structures while redoubling our efforts.” This is an encouraging result given the magnitude of the challenges ahead.
• The next most common answer, at 25 percent, was “Other specific strategies (please elaborate).” You can read some of the write-in comments below.
• “Reestablish priorities, reassess my company’s strategy, reevaluate strategic partnerships and community action” drew 17 percent of respondents, emphasizing that business-as-usual is not a viable option under a second Trump administration.
• Notably, only 6 people chose “Retreat. Find another field. Working to limit climate change is hopeless.” The vast majority are not giving up. Indeed, many vowed to escalate their efforts. 

Here are some of the most fiery comments:

• “Fight like hell. This is no time to retreat. Corporations have so much power and if they let their climate actions fade, just like DEI actions when under scrutiny, the public will see … Get your lobbyists out there fighting for our future even if it’s an uphill battle.”
• “Hammer — work harder and smarter to double impacts and hardwire initiatives so they can’t be cut and we’re ready to come out stronger and more impactful in 4 years.”
• “It is time to dig deep and find the will to get back to work more fervently than ever because our work is more critical than ever.”
• “Go on the offense.”

Several emphasize the need to speak up: 

• “Go more aggressively on public climate communication.”
• “Be more vocal. Intentionally push against incoming climate power structures until my employer actively stops me.”
• “Demonstrate the value of sustainability and climate resilience. Build a business case around green tech including appealing to the stability that energy diversification and environmental restoration can have on a nation.”

Some said policies, including those from Europe, will continue to influence their work:

• “Focus closely on EU initiatives … Regardless of what happens in Washington, companies doing business in and with the EU must comply with those regulations, which means the ‘torch’ will continue to burn brightly for sustainability efforts.”
• “This is another setback but it will not be as devastating as the dismantling of the U.S. carbon markets by the Obama Administration … We will change our wording to qualify our projects for energy efficiency under the new regime and build hybrid energy infrastructure that includes diesel and natural gas power plants to avoid backlash, but we will continue to produce green hydrogen from renewable energy, which will be used in the fuel mix for the generators to reduce emissions by over 90 percent.”
• “I am hoping that California and the SEC’s reporting requirements take a hard look at the impact of required reporting on businesses … Sustainability professionals need to do better to actually align their requirements of reporting with finance and accounting professionals before making up these new rules.”