Former EPA Chief: Cities Will Lead Climate Fight Despite Federal Pushback

As the world prepares for crucial UN climate negotiations in Brazil next month, former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy delivered a rallying cry for grassroots climate action. Speaking during a Thursday press briefing, McCarthy emphasized that American cities and states remain committed to fighting climate change, even as they face opposition from the Trump administration’s environmental policies.

“We will not allow our country to become numb or debilitated by those who are standing in the way of progress,” McCarthy declared, signaling a defiant stance against federal rollbacks of climate initiatives. Her comments highlight a growing trend of local and state governments stepping up to fill gaps left by reduced federal climate action.

McCarthy’s optimism isn’t unfounded. Cities and states across the US have already demonstrated significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through local policies and initiatives. From renewable energy mandates to building efficiency standards and transportation electrification programs, subnational governments control many of the levers needed to drive meaningful climate progress.

This bottom-up approach to climate action could prove crucial as international partners look to the US for leadership on global warming solutions. With local governments representing millions of Americans and controlling substantial portions of the nation’s economy, their collective climate efforts could help maintain US credibility in international climate discussions, regardless of federal policy directions. The upcoming UN climate talks will likely showcase these local success stories as examples of American climate commitment.