Trump's climate rollbacks coincided with Iran war curbing global emissions

Under Donald Trump, the United States pursued policies that relaxed limits on fossil-fuel extraction and halted progress on clean-energy adoption, including exiting the Paris climate pact and scrapping federal vehicle emission caps. In February, a U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran sparked a war that prompted Iran to limit maritime traffic through the Hormuz Strait, which carries a significant share of global oil shipments.

The ongoing disruption, now lasting several months, has kept oil and gas supplies constrained, causing a notable reduction in the combustion of these fuels worldwide. Analysts note that this has translated into lower carbon dioxide emissions. While some countries have turned to coal to offset the shortfall, overall fossil-fuel-related emissions appear to be falling compared with pre-conflict levels. The situation raises questions about whether the reduced demand for oil and gas will persist after the conflict ends.