The world commits to new climate goals without the U.S.

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "The World Commits to New Climate Goals Without the U.S."

Podcast: Consider This from NPR
Air Date: September 28, 2025
Host: Andrew Limbong
Guest: Wopke Hoekstra, European Union Climate Commissioner

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Overview

This episode examines the global response to climate change as more than 100 countries commit to new pollution reduction targets at the United Nations—despite the United States’ continued withdrawal from international climate agreements under President Trump. Host Andrew Limbong interviews Wopke Hoekstra, the EU’s Climate Commissioner, who discusses new climate commitments, the challenges of U.S. opposition, the dynamics with China and other major emitters, the economic realities of the energy transition, and the impacts felt by everyday people.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Paris Climate Agreement: Achievements and Setbacks

• The Paris Agreement was initially hailed as pivotal yet controversial (00:00).
• U.S. leadership was significant, with prominent moments such as John Kerry signing with his granddaughter present (00:18).
• Since signing, implementation has been turbulent, particularly for the largest greenhouse gas emitters (00:40).

2. U.S. Withdrawal and Escalated Opposition

• In 2017, President Trump withdrew from the Agreement (00:56).
• Trump recently doubled down, calling climate action a “scam” at the UN General Assembly (01:11, 03:20).
• The episode sets up the tension: What can other world leaders do when the U.S. is “actively opposed to, even hostile to, climate action?” (01:20).

3. New Global Commitments

• Over 100 countries announced new pledges to cut pollution by 2035 at the UN (03:10).
• China committed to roughly a 10% reduction by 2035, which Hoekstra characterizes as disappointing, given China’s responsibility for 30% of global emissions (04:15).

4. The EU’s Leadership and Goals

• The EU’s 2035 emissions target: a reduction of between 66.3% and 72.5% compared to 1990 levels (04:45).
  • “This will put us at the top or very near the top of the most ambitious. Great Britain is probably going to have a target that is even higher, but we will come as a close second, I think.” — Wopke Hoekstra (05:01)

5. Impact of U.S. Absence on Global Climate Efforts

• “American leadership matters… The U.S. simply is the most formidable player across the globe… The fact that the U.S. is no longer being part of these conversations is a major blow to international efforts.” — Wopke Hoekstra (05:27)

• The absence complicates negotiations, particularly with China and the G20, which are together responsible for 85% of global emissions (06:08).

  • “It does do something with the dynamics. At the same time, the problem is not going to go away… The ecosystem, the planet doesn’t give a damn whether this is easy or difficult. It’s simply warming up.” — Wopke Hoekstra (06:12)

6. The Economic Reality of Decarbonization

• Decarbonizing is increasingly viewed by businesses as essential for long-term survival (07:06).
  • “When I talk to businesses… it is crystal clear to them that the future will be decarbonized and that if you don’t expose yourself to that economy, you will have a very bad chance of surviving as a company.” — Wopke Hoekstra (07:06)
• Market forces are accelerating the clean energy transition, such as the dramatic drop in solar costs: “That dropped by roughly 95% in terms of cost just in this decade or in this century.” — Hoekstra (07:52)

7. Europe’s Russian Gas Dependency and Response

• The EU seeks to eliminate its dependency on Russian gas—an issue compounded by the war in Ukraine (08:10).
  • “We have actually eradicated this dependency already for 90%. The last 10% is the most difficult. But you, you’re absolutely right. We should step up and make sure that we get rid of that.” — Wopke Hoekstra (08:51)

8. Human Impact & the Need for a Just Transition

• The transition has real human consequences, especially for workers in legacy industries (09:19).
  • “If you’re working in the coal industry and the plant is going to close… you wonder about how you’re going to feed your kids. And then it matters whether there are actually jobs available in new industries and whether there’s training available…” — Wopke Hoekstra (09:19)
• Governments must ensure support and retraining for displaced workers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The planet doesn’t give a damn whether this is easy or difficult. It’s simply warming up. The impact in terms of droughts, wildfires is basically continuing. And that will have increasingly a very, very significant economic cost.”
  — Wopke Hoekstra (06:12)

• "When I talk to businesses, whether they're from the US or from Europe or from wherever, it is crystal clear to them that the future will be decarbonized..."
  — Wopke Hoekstra (07:06)

• “We have actually eradicated this [Russian gas] dependency already for 90%. The last 10% is the most difficult.”
  — Wopke Hoekstra (08:51)

• “...it matters whether there are actually jobs available in new industries and whether there's training available to make sure you get skilled in a way that gives you a decent chance for a great job in that new industry.”
  — Wopke Hoekstra (09:27)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – Overview of the Paris Agreement’s signing and legacy
• 00:56 – President Trump announces U.S. withdrawal
• 03:10 – Introduction of the topic and the week’s UN climate talks
• 03:40 – Interview with EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra begins
• 04:45 – Details on the EU’s climate commitments for 2035
• 05:27 – On U.S. global leadership and the consequences of its absence
• 07:06 – Business perspectives on decarbonization
• 08:24 – EU’s efforts to eliminate dependence on Russian gas
• 09:19 – The human/economic impact of the energy transition and the need for support
• 10:05 – Interview concludes

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Tone and Style

The conversation is direct, pragmatic, and global in scope, reflecting frank concerns about climate urgency, diplomatic complications, and the need for equitable transition for communities most affected by the move away from fossil fuels. Hoekstra is diplomatic regarding U.S. politics but emphasizes the stark realities facing the planet and the global economy.

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Summary Takeaway

Despite the U.S. rejecting new climate commitments and actively opposing climate policy at the UN, other global powers—including the EU and more than 100 countries—are pressing ahead, increasingly driven by the unmistakable economic and environmental imperatives. The EU is setting ambitious targets and working to decouple from Russian energy, but is candid about the challenge of a just transition for affected workers and the drag created by lack of U.S. involvement. Hoekstra’s core message: planetary warming and market realities will force change, with or without American leadership.

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Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

When the Paris Climate Agreement was signed, although it was fraught with controversy, it was seen as a diplomatic achievement and a step in the right direction in the global effort to counter climate change.

[Wopke Hoekstra]

I now declare the Paris Agreement for Climate Change open for signature.

[Andrew Limbong]

Famously, John Kerry, who was US Secretary of State at the time, held his granddaughter on his lap while signing the agreement and later addressed the General Assembly.

[Donald Trump]

We will do our part. We will live up to our responsibility to future generations and together citizens of the world, we will work to save our planet from ourselves.

[Andrew Limbong]

In the years since, the implementation of the agreement hasn't gone smoothly, especially among some of the countries that are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. In June of 2017, during his first term in office, President Trump made this announcement in front of the White the.

[Donald Trump]

United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.

[Andrew Limbong]

And this past week, President Trump reiterated his stance against climate action. Here he is at the UN General.

[Donald Trump]

Assembly and I'm telling you that if you don't get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail.

[Andrew Limbong]

Consider this what can other global leaders do when the US Is actively opposed to, even hostile to, climate action? From NPR, I'm Andrew Limbong.

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[Andrew Limbong]

It'S consider this from NPR at the United nations this week, more than 100 countries met to discuss commitments to cut pollution by 2035 as part of a global effort to counter climate change. Also at the UN this week, President Trump called climate change, quote, the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world. And he called green policies a scam, and he said he was worried about Europe. We're joined now by the Climate Commissioner for the European Union, Wobke Hoekstra. Hi, Commissioner, welcome.

[Wopke Hoekstra]

Thank you very much for having me on the show.

[Interviewer]

So let's start with some of the new commitments announced earlier this week to cut pollution levels to address global warming. What stands out to you?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

First of all, it is hugely important that the world continues to make this effort, because, frankly speaking, this problem is getting worse before it gets better, right? So if you just look at the sheer impact on our economies, on geopolitics, on the ecosystem we live in, the damage simply is huge. It is imperative that the global community, that the world together also tries to fix this.

[Interviewer]

And so what have you heard this week?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

We learned, for example, about the Chinese example, which in my view is a step, but at the same time disappointing, in where they land. They're not going to do much more than some 10% reduction by 2035. And given that they're the largest emitter on the planet, responsible for roughly 30% of global emissions, it would have been hugely important for them to take more responsibility, more leadership, and do more.

[Interviewer]

So, Commissioner, help us understand, what are the EU's commitments for 2035?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

So our commitment is a range between 66.3 and 72.5% to reduce emissions, of reduced emissions compared to 1990, which was our peak year. You always take the peak and then, you know, the percentage that you managed to drive down by 2035, if you were to put into perspective, because I can fully understand that, it's hard to assess, is this good, is this mediocre, is this bad? This will put us at the top or very near the top of the most ambitious. Great Britain is probably going to have a target that is even higher, but we will come as a close second, I think.

[Interviewer]

How does President Trump's hostility to climate action impact momentum on the world stage?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

I think it is diplomatic to basically refrain from trying to be a pundit and analyze his specific speech. But if I zoom out, what I can tell you is that American leadership matters, and frankly speaking, all matters that we have, whether geopolitics, whether it's the economy or whether it is climate, the US simply is the most formidable player across the globe. You are the number One economy and you are the second largest emitter. So the fact that the US is no longer being part of these conversations is a major blow to international efforts. That's just a reality.

[Interviewer]

So how do you bring the whole world along when the US isn't playing ball?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

It makes it more complicated, and it makes conversations with China also more complicated. And with all the other large emitter, all the large industrial nations, which we typically call the G20, together responsible for roughly 85% of global emissions. It does do something with the dynamics. At the same time, the problem is not going to go away, right? The ecosystem, the planet doesn't give a damn whether this is easy or difficult. It's simply warming up. And the impact in terms of droughts, wildfires is basically continuing. And that will have increasingly a very, very significant economic cost. So forget about all the lingo about saving the planet. This is an economic reality we need to face.

[Interviewer]

Climate action isn't a light switch, right? It's not particularly nimble. Businesses have invested and there are new market realities.

[Andrew Limbong]

But how do you face the big.

[Interviewer]

Challenges when you have these big swings in American policy?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

So the interesting thing is, when I talk to businesses, whether they're from the US or from Europe or from wherever, it is crystal clear to them that the future will be decarbonized and that if you don't expose yourself to that economy, you will have a very bad chance of surviving as a company, not in the very short run, but in the longer run for sure. So that is why in so many industries, CEOs are making sure that they do go into change mode. They might not always use that anymore under the header of of climate or of clean, but for many of them, it simply makes business sense to step up and the numbers show that they are right. Just to give you one number that I've always found absolutely spectacular, if you look at what happened to the price of solar, that dropped by roughly 95% in terms of cost just in this decade or in this century. So in these 25 years alone. And the costs are ever further going down. So it is just attractive from a commercial perspective to have exposure to that.

[Interviewer]

The EU has made progress in its clean energy transition, but it still imports Russian gas. And I think that reliance is problematic for the bloc's climate and broader policy goals. So how are you working to reconcile this?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

We're trying to eradicate that as quickly as we can, Andrew. Just no doubt about it, we have made a severe mistake years ago to believe that, you know, that this dependency was actually okay. And that it was with a trustworthy partner. And then the Ukrainians turned out to be at the receiving end of an absolutely illegal, horrible war the Russians forced upon them. And immediately when we then started to side with the Ukrainians, the effect was that the Russians were trying to threaten us with this dependency. So never again. The good news is we have actually eradicated this dependency already for 90%. The last 10% is the most difficult. But you, you're absolutely right. We should step up and make sure that we get rid of that.

[Interviewer]

Often, you know, regular people get lost in these conversations. Right. So what stories do you hear from people about what is changing their lives and what can people concerned about climate do themselves?

[Wopke Hoekstra]

I fully understand that people on the one hand are saying, look, I'm worried about all the news I'm getting and what this will mean for my life or for the life of my kids. And at the same time wonder about how measures governments are taking might impact our lives. If you, if you're working in the coal industry and the plant is going to close, well, you might intellectually agree that that is good for climate. But of course, you wonder about how you're going to feed your kids. And then it matters whether there are actually jobs available in new industries and whether there's training available to make sure you get skilled in a way that gives you a decent chance for a great job in that new industry. But it is important to make sure that we facilitate these type of things, in my view.

[Interviewer]

Wobke Hoekscha is the European Union climate commissioner. Kirchner, thank you so much for joining us.

[Wopke Hoekstra]

Thank you very much for having me.

[Andrew Limbong]

This episode was produced by Daniel Offman. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's considered this from npr. Andrew Limbaugh.

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