Republican Presidential Candidates on Climate

In a shift from past election cycles, many of the Republican candidates acknowledge that climate change is real. But even as heat waves, floods, wildfires and other weather-related disasters become more frequent and severe, few acknowledge the seriousness of climate change, and most of them reject transitioning the United States from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Donald J. Trump Former President His actions as president may have caused irreversible damage to the global climate. Donald J. Trump has mocked climate science and championed the production of the fossil fuels chiefly responsible for warming the planet. Ron DeSantis Governor of Florida He has supported efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change, but not to prevent it. Gov. Ron DeSantis leads a state, Florida, that is on the front lines of climate change: It has been hit hard by hurricanes, which are becoming more frequent and more severe as the Atlantic Ocean grows warmer. He acknowledges climate change but rejects most efforts to stop it. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina has acknowledged that climate change is occurring, once telling The Post and Courier, his home-state newspaper: “There is no doubt that man is having an impact on our environment. There is no doubt about that. I am not living under a rock.” Vivek Ramaswamy Entrepreneur He opposes all government efforts to reduce carbon emissions. I will abandon the climate cult in all of its forms. This is a framework that we’ve gotten totally wrong. It’s what they call the anti-impact framework. It treats carbon as the bad guy, and says we have to measure it and decrease carbon emissions at all costs. That has shackled the American energy sector, and that is the No. 1 obstacle to G.D.P. growth in this country. Nikki Haley Former Governor of South Carolina She supports carbon-capture technology but has denounced efforts to reduce emissions. Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, has acknowledged that climate change is real and caused by humans, but she has generally rejected governmental efforts to reduce emissions. Her advocacy group Stand for America said that“liberal ideas would cost trillions and destroy our economy.” Mike Pence Former Vice President He claims climate change is exaggerated and would prioritize domestic energy production. Former Vice President Mike Pence has acknowledged that climate change is happening. But he claims that “radical environmentalists” are exaggerating its effects and rejects the scientific consensus that the United States (like the world) must reach net-zero emissions by 2050, calling it “completely unfeasible.” Chris Christie Former Governor of New Jersey He supports action on climate change with some caveats. Asa Hutchinson Former Governor of Arkansas He denounces government mandates but supports private renewable energy development. Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, rejects government-led efforts to reduce emissions and says he will “end the war on fossil fuels,” but also says he is open to “market-driven solutions to transition towards cleaner energy sources.” Doug Burgum Governor of North Dakota He has supported carbon-capture as governor, but what he would do as president is unclear. Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota has pushed harder to address climate change than most Republicans by actively identifying carbon neutrality as a goal: In 2021, he announced that he wanted North Dakota to reach it by 2030. He acknowledges that climate change is a major threat, but what he would do is unclear. Former Representative Will Hurd of Texas has acknowledged the gravity of climate change. In a 2021 essay on his website, he wrote that rising temperatures would worsen hurricanes, floods, wildfires and droughts; threaten water supplies; and, by reducing crop yields and restricting animal habitats, have economic consequences, such as making food more expensive. Francis Suarez Mayor of Miami He has pursued significant emission reductions in Miami. Mayor Francis X. Suarez of Miami has acknowledged that climate change is a serious threat — one that is already hurting his city, he wrote in 2019 in a New York Times opinion essay with the former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon.