In recent days, many of you have seen or heard about the new administration’s slate of executive orders. While several of these orders warrant close attention, we’re focusing on those with the most significant implications for climate and the environment: the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the “Unleashing American Energy” executive order.

Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement

One of the most concerning orders seeks to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. This decision would place the U.S. among a small group of nations—alongside Iran, Yemen, and Libya—that remain outside this global pact. The agreement is designed to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions on a global scale.

If this order proceeds, it will mean abandoning the ambitious goal of reducing toxic emissions by 66% by 2025. Additionally, it will halt promised payments to under-resourced countries, funds that were critical for helping these nations transition to clean energy solutions. However, it’s important to note that this move will not affect the U.S.’s participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Misleading Messaging: The “Unleashing American Energy” Executive Order

Another key executive order, titled “Unleashing American Energy,” may sound promising, but its implications tell a different story. This order instructs agency heads to halt the disbursement of funds allocated through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The IRA, passed under the previous administration, was a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at investing in clean energy projects and addressing climate-related challenges, particularly in Black, Brown, and low-income communities through the Justice40 initiative. Under the new order, agencies must submit spending reports to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the National Economic Council, aligning their disbursements with the new administration’s vision for energy policy.

Declaring an Energy Emergency

The new administration has also declared a national energy emergency. While this may sound urgent and necessary, it’s being used as a pathway to bypass permitting and approval processes. This declaration could fast-track fossil fuel production projects while excluding cleaner energy sources, further solidifying reliance on nonrenewable resources.

What You Can Do

These are just a few of the executive orders that demand our attention. We encourage you to review the complete list of executive orders to understand their full scope and implications.

It’s also worth noting that several of these orders will likely face legal challenges, which could alter their implementation and impact. We will continue to monitor the viability and consequences of these actions because these decisions affect not only the present but also the environmental future of our communities and our planet.

Climate and Environment Resources

Jovita Lee, Ed.D. is the policy director for Advance Carolina and convener of the North Carolina Black and Brown Policy Network. Her advocacy and policy work focuses on environmental justice for Black and Brown communities, operating on both state and national levels.

This week, our state’s legislature came back into session to fast-track HB 10 and expand the bill beyond its original intent. When filed, HB 10 was an egregious attempt to target immigrant families and communities by forcing local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration policies. Instead of ensuring that immigrant families are safe and protected, HB 10 would increase the financial burden on our municipal governments and endanger immigrants by making them live in a constant state of fear for their families and livelihood, bringing harm to all our communities.

In the newly released version of HB 10, our elected officials added some critical budget allocations but funneled millions of dollars from public schools to private school vouchers. Some components of this bill that should concern every North Carolinian:

• Funneling Local Public School Funding to Unaccountable Private Schools: In its expanded form, HB 10 doubles down on the irresponsible funding scheme that siphons money from local public schools to fund private school tuition vouchers, with no accountability or reporting requirements for the private schools receiving funds. Meanwhile, our state is still failing to fund public schools at a level that would support our children’s educational success and give educators the raises and resources they deserve.
• Hiding Negotiations and Blocking the Public Process: House and Senate leaders hid negotiations behind closed doors, allowing special interests and the wealthy elite to drive policy in the bill and eliminating North Carolina taxpayers’ chance to make their voice heard. Additionally, as a conference report, HB 10 can no longer be amended. There is no path to change the bill’s language, even if legislators agree that changes are necessary. 
• Harmful Revenue Decisions: Our state’s legislators have not fully allocated the resources we have available to support the well-being of our communities. The adjustments presented in HB 10 leave over $100 million that could be utilized to improve our local public schools, address our state’s housing crisis, support the needs of communities impacted by environmental injustice and health inequities, and many other priorities that North Carolinians have highlighted repeatedly. 

This bill has already passed the Senate with a vote of 27-17 and will go to the House chamber this week. 

We must stand against this harmful legislation and reject the extremist future its authors are designing for our state: a future where working families no longer have free access to local public schools and where immigrant families live in fear of being targeted by law enforcement. We urge you to take action now by contacting your House Representatives and urging them to vote NO on HB 10 later this week.