On the first day of his second administration, January 20, 2025, President Trump undertook a flurry of executive actions, many of which jeopardize a healthy ocean and the health of the people and wildlife that rely on it. 

Presidents can direct the work of the federal government using authority given to them by either the U.S. Constitution or a law passed by Congress. When a president decides to use this authority, they share their decision through executive actions like Executive Orders, Presidential Memoranda or Presidential Proclamations. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, for example, is a law passed by Congress, and one of the authorities this law gives to the president is the authority to stop areas offshore from being leased to companies for resource extraction, like oil and gas or minerals, thereby protecting them from these harmful activities. Examples of authorities presidents have from the Constitution include sharing information on the state of the union with Congress and granting pardons for federal crimes. 

Recent executive actions from President Trump, explained below, undo significant ocean conservation measures and halt or reverse climate action that protects us and future generations from pollution, extreme weather caused by the climate crisis, and the loss of natural resources foundational to coastal economies, heritage and cultures. 

• Executive Order 14162 withdraws the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and any associated international climate agreements. It also ends U.S. financial and other assistance to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities and ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate change. (Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements)

Why it matters: The United States is the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases and still makes the top three list for most annual emissions. We cannot address climate change and protect the ocean without action from the largest emitter.

Meeting the Paris Agreement targets helps stabilize climate systems, ensuring our ocean continues to sustain biodiversity, provide essential ecosystem services and buffer against climate impacts. Scientists indicate that every 0.1°C temperature increase poses greater risks for the planet, such as longer heatwaves, more intense storms and increased wildfires. The 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement was established due to strong evidence suggesting that the impacts will become significantly more extreme as the world approaches 2°C or higher. Some changes may become irreversible.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the consequences of 2°C global warming versus 1.5°C could include:

1. Sea-level rise would be 0.1m higher than at 1.5°C, exposing up to 10 million more people to more frequent flooding.
2. More than 99% of coral reefs would be lost, compared with 70-90% at 1.5°C.
3. Several hundred million more people may be exposed to climate-related risks and susceptible to poverty by 2050 than at 1.5°C.

• A Presidential Memorandum halts new offshore wind development in the United States and Territories until further notice. (Temporary Withdrawal Of All Areas On The Outer Continental Shelf From Offshore Wind Leasing And Review Of The Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices For Wind Projects)

Why it matters: Climate change is the biggest threat facing the ocean. To address it, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still producing energy to meet our growing electricity needs, including for heating or cooling homes and cities. Offshore wind is one of the most effective and reliable solutions to meet Americans’ needs for clean, domestically produced energy. In fact, offshore wind alone has the potential to generate more than five times what the United States consumes in electricity each year. This clean ocean energy source has already led to billions of dollars of investments in American communities, supporting thousands of jobs along the coast and inland. 

As our country’s energy demand increases, offshore wind provides a clean alternative to support Americans without the harm of dirty offshore drilling. Offshore wind is being developed responsibly, avoiding impacts to marine life and ecosystems along our coasts. Ocean Conservancy will continue to collaborate with federal and state governments, scientists, industry, conservation advocates and others to safely switch to clean ocean energy to protect our ocean and planet, forever and for everyone.

• Executive Orders 14148 and 14154 purport to re-open offshore areas, including sensitive areas for wildlife, to oil and gas leasing. (Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions and Unleashing American Energy)

Why it matters: Former President Biden and other past presidents used their executive authority to place waters off the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Coast and in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean off-limits to new leasing for oil and gas development. This protection helps ensure these areas will not be subject to damaging oil spills that accompany oil and gas development. It also helps prevent harmful emissions that will worsen the impacts of climate change. President Trump’s Executive Orders 14148 and 14154 attempt to rescind these protections, paving the way for risky drilling that threatens the people and wildlife that depend on clean and healthy marine ecosystems and coasts. Not only that, in 2019, a federal court ruled that the president does not have the authority to rescind these protections.

• Executive Order 14154 freezes the payment of funds promised by two laws, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). This Executive Order also includes numerous other provisions to promote fossil fuel development while ending government actions aimed to mitigate climate change. (Unleashing American Energy)

Why it matters: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)are the two most important recent laws to enable the U.S. to tackle climate change and allow for a responsible, rapid and just transition to clean energy. By freezing their funds, this Executive Order stops billions of dollars of energy, environmental and climate spending, including freezing money that had already been promised (“obligated”) but not yet paid (“disbursed”). The IIJA provides billions of dollars for improving regional ocean planning, addressing marine debris, investing in coastal resilience, supporting renewable energy, enhancing grid reliability and reducing emissions at ports. The IRA represents the single largest investment in climate change solutions in the history of the U.S. The law includes significant ocean-climate action, including critical tax incentives for offshore renewable energy that aim to level the playing field with fossil fuels, which have been subsidized in the U.S. for over a century. Revoking these promised funds risks our clean ocean energy transition.

At Ocean Conservancy, we are clear-eyed about what is needed to protect our ocean, and that includes moving away from dangerous fossil fuels toward 100% clean ocean energy. We will continue to work with partners domestically and abroad to meet our climate goals and protect the ocean we all depend on. Take action with Ocean Conservancy and join the movement to protect our ocean, forever and for everyone.