US president Donald Trump‘s return to the White House has opened the door for Asean nations to take the lead on global climate action, an expert said.
Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, said Malaysia, as Asean chair, should seize the opportunity to lead climate action.
“What happens here (the Asean region), and the model of economic development and growth adopted by Asean countries, will be critical in determining whether we succeed in combating climate change.
“The US doesn’t look like a very good international partner on any issue, including climate change, and the rest of the world will have to get on with it,” he said in an interview with FMT.
Asean already has a regional Climate Change Strategic Action Plan (2025–2030) to accelerate the bloc’s transition towards meeting its targets.
As the current chair, Malaysia last year launched its National Energy Transition Roadmap, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Ward said transitioning to alternative energy sources would be a prudent move for developing nations, offering not only environmental benefits but also strong potential for long-term economic gains.
“In the early days of climate policy, there was a perception that climate action was a burden — something each country had to shoulder and something they often tried to shift onto others.
“But the analysis now shows that the shift away from fossil fuels towards clean energy is not a burden — it’s a huge economic opportunity. It’s no longer about burden-sharing but about who can seize the opportunities,” he said.
Ward cited China as an example, pointing to its leadership in renewable energy, electric vehicles and clean tech exports.
“It’s not a trade-off between economic growth and environmental responsibility — the two go hand in hand. This is about building a sustainable economy,” he added
Trump had withdrawn the US from the Paris Agreement, with the official exit taking place on Nov 4, 2020. Then-president Joe Biden rejoined the agreement in January 2021.
However, upon beginning his second term as president on Jan 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order initiating another withdrawal.
Until the formal exit takes effect, a year after notification, the US remains bound by its climate commitments.
Trump has also ordered a halt to all US contributions to global climate finance, including the US$1.3 trillion annual commitment agreed at COP29.
