Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!
Trump, COP29 and the future of climate finance
Nov 12, 2024
Episode 1283

Trump, COP29 and the future of climate finance

HTML EMBED:
COPY
Could the rest of the world fund climate change solutions without the United States?

COP29, the United Nations’ annual climate summit, is underway in Azerbaijan. This year’s conference is all about how the world will pay to deal with climate change. But Donald Trump’s election victory looms large over the talks.

President-elect Trump could roll back United States climate policy like he did during his first term. But Gautam Jain, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, said the markets may move in another direction.

“President Trump repealed a lot of laws related to this, for example, the Clean Power Plan. But even then, we saw a lot of investments happening in utility-scale solar and onshore wind because they became more cost-effective,” said Jain.

On the show today, Jain walks us through the big debates at this year’s climate summit: how much more investment is needed to help developing countries address climate change, which countries should pay up and how the United States’ role in the clean energy transition could shift under a second Trump administration.

Plus, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods has urged President-elect Trump to avoid causing too much turbulence in the country’s energy policy. Our hosts break down why Exxon is trying to have it both ways.

Later, one listener’s new open-door policy and another’s defense of early Christmas lights. Plus, a Dodgers bar owner was wrong about bringing a bit of Los Angeles to New York City.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

None of us is as smart as all of us.

No matter how bananapants your day is, “Make Me Smart” is here to help you through it all— 5 days a week.

It’s never just a one-way conversation. Your questions, reactions, and donations are a vital part of the show. And we’re grateful for every single one.

Donate any amount to become a Marketplace Investor and help make us smarter (and make us smile!) every day.

The team

Marissa Cabrera Senior Producer
Courtney Bergsieker Associate Producer