MEMO: International Day of Climate Action

TO:    Interested Parties

FR:    Climate Power En Acción 

DT:    October 23, 2025

RE:    International Day of Climate Action

Only three weeks before the start of COP 30 in Brazil, while the rest of the world celebrates progress during the International Day of Climate Action, the United States is undergoing a historic reversal on climate and environmental justice, with policies that once protected communities and powered clean energy now being dismantled, and the most vulnerable paying the price. In summary,  the Trump administration is tearing down in a year what took decades to build.

Since taking office, the administration has moved aggressively to weaken environmental protections and clean energy investments that keep our communities safe, create good-paying jobs, and cut pollution. Safeguards built over generations are being rolled back, and the clean energy transition, once gaining real momentum, has been stalled. These choices make our communities more vulnerable to pollution, drive up energy costs, and threaten to leave the U.S. behind as the rest of the world races toward a cleaner future. Latino communities, already disproportionately affected by pollution and extreme weather, are being hit hardest.

Today, on the International Day of Climate Action, we stand with communities fighting for clean air, clean water, and climate justice, and we call for policies that invest in people, not polluters. Below we compiled a list of the most prominent areas and initiatives that have been impacted during this year.   

DISMANTLING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS – WEAKENING SAFEGUARDS THAT PROTECT OUR AIR, WATER, AND COMMUNITIES

• Rollback of Clean Air Standards: Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving to reverse the 2009 endangerment finding, which underpins the federal government’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
• Water Quality Standards: Trump’s EPA asked a federal court to reverse rules regulating PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in drinking water.
• Environmental Justice Initiatives: Trump signed an executive order eliminating federal environmental justice programs and canceling hundreds of DEI programs.

These rollbacks undermine U.S. credibility in global climate negotiations and weaken collaborative efforts, signaling that the U.S. is retreating from environmental leadership and leaving frontline communities worldwide more vulnerable to pollution.

CUTS TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS – REDUCING CAPACITY TO ENFORCE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS AND RESPOND TO CRISES

• EPA Staffing Reductions: 4,000 employees furloughed, with up to 90% of staff sent home during shutdowns, crippling enforcement.
• Closure of Regional Environmental Offices: The administration eliminated EPA regional offices addressing pollution in low-income communities.
• EPA Under Threat: Trump’s EPA administrator announced plans to slash the agency’s budget more than 65%.

By dismantling environmental oversight infrastructure, the U.S. reduces its ability to track emissions and report on climate progress, hampering international accountability and collaboration on climate solutions.

CUTS TO CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENTS – HALTING THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY 

• Suspension of Clean Energy Grants: 648 clean energy and emissions-reduction grants on the chopping block across 47 states.
• Clean Energy Projects Canceled or Put on Hold: Over $42.8 billion in projects canceled or delayed, costing tens of thousands of jobs.
• Clean Energy Jobs Jeopardized: More than 80,000 jobs lost or stalled, with household electricity bills up 10% nationally.

The rollbacks to clean energy reduce U.S. competitiveness in the global clean energy market, signaling to international partners that America is deprioritizing climate action while the rest of the world invests in sustainable energy. 

CUTS TO EXTREME WEATHER MONITORING AND SUPPORT – WEAKENING RESILIENCE AGAINST DISASTERS

• NOAA Staff and Program Reductions: Hundreds of NOAA and National Weather Service staff laid off, degrading storm forecasts and early warnings.
• Disaster Relief Funding Cuts: 20% of FEMA staff cut, delaying disaster declarations and response.
• Climate Resilience Initiatives: Trump ended programs like BRIC and the American Climate Corps, dismantling climate preparedness nationwide.

The U.S. disengagement from climate adaptation undermines global resilience initiatives and weakens collaboration with countries facing similar extreme weather challenges, leaving communities worldwide at greater risk.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS – RETREATING FROM GLOBAL CLIMATE LEADERSHIP

• Withdrawal from Global Agreements: Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord and disbanded the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
• Reduction in Climate Aid: Terminated $1.2 billion in global climate and clean energy contracts at USAID.
• Data and Accountability Failures: The EPA missed UN deadlines to report U.S. emissions data, undermining global credibility.

These actions isolate the U.S. in climate policy discussions, reduce American influence on sustainable development, and increase risks of climate-related migration that affects Latino populations at home and abroad.