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2024 Presidential Election: Candidates, Programs and Arguments

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Stephanie Safdie

updated Nov 8, 2024

US Copywriter at Greenly

The 2024 presidential election is looming near, but in the midst of all the chaotic GOP debates and incessant media headlines – it can prove difficult to get a good grasp on the values of each candidate.

However, there’s no need to worry – because we’ve created a comprehensive guide on each candidate with an overview of their general program, and in depth analysis of their environmental programs.

👉 In this article, we’ll give a breakdown of the campaigns for the two main 2024 presidential candidates, Trump vs. Harris – and an overview of their climate policy.

Who won the 2024 Presidential Election?

As of early morning on November 6th, Donald Trump was declared president-elect of the United states – many of which are citing as a political comeback, seeing as the majority of the Republican Party abandoned his campaign and as Trump will be the first president to serve two, nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleavland in 1892.

After having flipped all of the swing states, including the key battleground states of Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – what was expected to be a razor thin race ended up being a landslide, Trump accumulated over 295 electoral votes as of November 7th, 2024 and secured the presidency.

Most Americans, including immigrants and women, decided to vote for Trump believing that he’ll improve the economy – as many Americans have cited being fed up with gas and grocery prices. These same voters also expressed concern about the current border policies, which CNN revealed is Trump’s current day 1 priority once he returns to the white house.

👉 However, it is important to note that while the majority of Americans (with Trump having secured the popular vote in addition to winning the electoral college) believe the Trump administration will reduce their monthly costs – financial advisors have estimated that increased tariffs on behalf of the Trump administration will wise expenses for the average middle-class American family by $4,000 a year.

Why did Kamala Harris lose the election?

Many analysts are trying to decipher why Harris lost the 2024 presidential election, especially when the polling was reported to be tight between key battleground states.

Some report that Biden’s choice in withdrawing from the race as late as he did may have affected the public’s perception on Harris, as well as Kamala’s failure herself to differentiate herself from the Biden-Harris administration – which was proven extremely unpopular amongst Gen Z in the midst of various international affairs such as the Israel-Palestine conflict.

💡 In addition to this, Harris somehow lost votes with key target voters – such as by losing 13 points with Latino voters and six points with voters under 30.

“ "First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and black workers as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change," he said. "And they're right." – Bernie Sanders on the 2024 Presidential Election results. ”

This reveals that somehow, Harris may have failed to connect with certain communities and crucial demographics to earn her vote – especially as Trump managed to flip both Wisconsin and Michigan.

How Trump’s Presidency Will Affect the Climate Crisis

While Republicans rejoice at the thought of the economy flourishing under the Trump administration once more, Democrats are concerned how the president-elect will handle the ongoing climate crisis.

In the midst of his endeavors to boost the economy, Trump’s win could deter our goal to keep global warming below the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Especially as Trump’s return to the White House coincides with extreme heat, droughts, and hurricanes – the now impending, second withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement raises concerns for how the United States will impact other countries' progress in helping to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to this, Trump’s administration has toyed with the idea of pulling out of the United Nations treaty to mitigate climate change entirely. If this were to happen, future presidents would have a difficult time re-joining the agreement.

“ The US election result is a setback for global climate action, but the Paris Agreement has proven resilient and is stronger than any single country’s policies…There is powerful economic momentum behind the global transition, which the US has led and gained from, but now risks forfeiting.” – Laurence Tubiana, CEO of European Climate Foundation. ”

Trump’s Main Agenda as President

Here a few of both the confirmed and presumed tasks that the Trump administration will proceed with following inauguration:

Secure the border
Proceed with Project 2025
Reverse various climate actions implemented by Biden

Why was the 2024 presidential election a big deal?

The 2024 presidential election is set to be one of the most interesting U.S. presidential elections in history for a multitude of reasons.

First off, current Vice President Kamala Harris is set to battle for the presidential title against Trump in the midst of his several scandals and indictments. This has not only Americans on the edge of their seat, but the rest of the world.

“ However, more importantly, there are a plethora of serious issues swarming the country – such as abortion laws, gun violence, healthcare, inflation, and climate change. ”

Therefore, the 2024 presidential election is coming at a time where the potential policies and strategies proposed will have a huge impact on pivotal backbones for the country – such as handling the country’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.

👉 The two main opponents for the 2024 election will be Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

How does the U.S. Presidential Election Work?

For those who live outside of the United States, and even Americans themselves – the process for how a president is elected can prove complicated.

Luckily, we’ve broken down the process to make it easier to understand how the U.S. Presidential Election works.

1. Primaries and Caucuses

This refers to when political parties select their nominees, which often include current state governors, senators, or other important figures in their respective political party.

Caucuses, or meetings where these political members discuss their preferred candidates at length. After this, primaries are held – which is where party members within the state will vote for their preferred candidate.

2. National Conventions

Following the first step, which is much like choosing a few potential outfits to wear to an event – each party holds a National Convention to choose their nominee.

After this, the chosen nominee will be able to choose their running mate for Vice President – who can sometimes be another candidate who was running for the nomination themselves or another well-known political figure.

3. General Election Campaign

Think of a big name artist like Taylor Swift choosing her opening acts for her Eras Tour. Once the opening acts have been chosen, they join her on her tour bus (or in her case, her private jet) to travel the world and play music together.

The same goes for the nominees. Once they are selected, they essentially go “on tour” across the country to promote their campaign and values in the same way a musical artist goes on tour to promote their music.

💡This can involve posting on social media, holding rallies, and engaging in political debates.

The Popular Vote vs. The Electoral College

Here is where it gets confusing for Americans and non-Americans alike.

The popular vote refers to election day where voters across the U.S. will head to the ballot box to cast their vote. Whoever gets the most votes is considered the winner of the popular vote, which is how most elections are dedicated around the world.

Think of sitting in a meeting, and you and your colleagues take a vote on something. Usually, the decision is made based on the vast majority – or the choice that garnered the most hand raises, “no”, or “yes” as a response.

“ However, when it comes to the U.S. elections – it doesn’t work that way. A perfect example of this is back in 2016 when Hilary Clinton won the popular vote, meaning that more Americans voted for her over Donald Trump. ”

Regardless, Trump won the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency – which is why he was ultimately inaugurated into office over Hilary Clinton.

The electoral vote refers to the Electoral College system to officially elect the President – which utilizes the method of each state being represented by a number of electors, otherwise known as senators and representatives.

Some states across the country are worth very few electoral votes, such as Idaho, Wyoming, Hawaii, Delaware, and Montana.

On the contrary, some states are worth a massive amount of electoral votes – such as Texas, California, Florida, and Ohio. Some of these states, such as California, are almost always voted blue – making them an easy win for the Democratic party. The same goes for certain states for the Republican party.

However, some states have a huge sway in the electoral process – otherwise known as “swing states”. They are referred to as swing states seeing as they have the potential to swing an election, and the color of the states (meaning the chosen party) is bound to change with each election.

Swing states include:

Florida
Arizona
Georgia
Michigan
Nevada
Wisconsin
Pennsylvania

👉 Presidents need 270 electoral votes to win. This is why presidents often campaign in swing states, as it is important to sway these populations to vote specifically red or blue in order for the president to win the electoral vote.

After all is said and done and a president is elected, they are sworn into office on January 20th of the year following the election.

Past Candidates for 2024 Presidential Election

Prior to Kamala Harris and Donald Trump being selected as the Democratic and Republican nominees, other candidates for the 2024 presidential election included Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden Marianne Williamson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Pence, Nikki Hayley, Vivek Ramsey, Tom Scott, Chris Christie, Doug Burgam, and more.

Here is a table summarizing the previous 2024 presidential candidates:

2024 USA Presidential Candidates Summary

Candidate	Party	Summary
Joe Biden	Democrat	The current president who was initially seeking a second term. His focuses include climate change, healthcare, and bipartisan policies, but faces criticism for age and environmental policies.
Marianne Williamson	Democrat	Advocates for reparations, universal healthcare, and climate action. Known for spiritual work with Oprah and her progressive platform.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.	Democrat	Anti-corporate power campaigner with a focus on conspiracy theories. Criticized for anti-vaccine stance but has strong environmental values.
Donald Trump	Republican	Former president running again, known for controversial policies, especially regarding climate change and economic recovery.
Mike Pence	Republican	Former Vice President, focuses on Christian values and anti-abortion policies, and often downplays the climate crisis.
Ron DeSantis	Republican	Florida Governor known for controversial policies such as blocking books and being against LGBTQ+ policies, with his climate change efforts focus on adaptation rather than prevention.
Nikki Haley	Republican	Former South Carolina Governor who is more moderate than her other Republican counterparts on some issues, but still prioritizes economy over aggressive climate action.
Vivek Ramaswamy	Republican	Young entrepreneur who dismisses climate agenda as a "hoax" and focuses on economic growth and strict immigration policies.
Perry Johnson	Republican	Businessman with a focus on fiscal policies, climate policy includes support for renewable energy but opposes Biden's regulations.
Asa Hutchinson	Republican	Former Arkansas Governor, critical of Trump, supports limited clean energy investments but not aggressive climate actions.
Larry Elder	Republican	Conservative radio host, focuses on crime, border control, and dismisses climate change as a significant concern.
Ryan Binkley	Republican	Pastor and business leader, advocates for energy independence and investing in climate technology.
Tim Scott	Republican	South Carolina Senator focused on immigration and border security. Dismissive of aggressive climate policies.
Chris Christie	Republican	Former New Jersey Governor, acknowledges climate science but prioritizes economic and international issues like China.
Doug Burgum	Republican	North Dakota Governor, supports energy independence with unclear positions on climate action.
Will Hurd	Republican	Former CIA officer, moderate on various issues, acknowledges climate change but lacks detailed policy proposals.
Cornel West	Third Party	Progressive activist and Green Party candidate, focuses on social justice, labor rights, and climate change.

👉 As of summer 2024, the official nominees for the Democratic and Republican party respectively are Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Democratic Nominee

Kamala Harris

Excitement has been circulating across the country and the democratic party since Harris has been supported by several leading figures in the democratic party such as the Obamas, Pete Buttigieg, John Kerry, Bill and Hilary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, California's governor Gavin Newsom

Harris would break several records if she were to be inaugurated into office in January 2025:

Harris would be the first female president in U.S. history
Harris would be the first Vice President to succeed directly from the previous president for a reason besides unforeseen death or resignation
Harris would be the first female and Black-American president
Harris would become the first president of Asian-American descent
Harris would become the first president to directly represent the Indian American community

💡After much speculation, it was announced that Tim Waltz had accepted the VP nomination to run alongside Harris in the 2024 Presidential Election.

As Harris has spent the past few weeks campaigning across battleground states, specifically making an attempt to resonate with the middle class – we’ve come to learn some of her main goals if she were elected as president in November 2024.

Mitigate Gun Violence – A long standing issue in the U.S., Kamala Harris has made clear her plans to ban assault rifles across the country by requiring background checks and a nationwide ban on assault weapons.
Strengthen the Middle Class – The opposite of Trump’s approach to the economy, Kamala Harris has made clear her desire to help the middle class be strong to ensure small businesses and minorities are receiving fair pay and equal opportunities and treatment across the nation.
Civil Equality – Referring to her work as a prosecutor in the 90s, Harris is seeking criminal justice reform as an attempt to address systemic racism and ensure DEI policies are well implemented.
Ensure Women’s Health Rights – Harris has repeated across social media and speeches her intentions to restore reproductive rights and freedom for women in the United States.
Fair Healthcare – Harris has mentioned the Affordable Care Act several times throughout her campaign, especially during her presidential campaign back in 2020.
Climate Change – Harris is in support of renewable energy and work to help vulnerable communities affected by climate change.
Immigration Reform – Harris is determined to ensure DACA holders have a safe residency in the U.S. and employing more humane immigration policies.

👉 It is important to remember that prior to Kamala Harris being elected as the democratic nominee, Joe Biden was the presumed nominee for the democratic party before he chose to step down for the sake of the country’s upcoming election.

Republican Nominee

Donald Trump

The infamous Trump has decided to run again for the 2024 presidential election after having lost to Biden in 2020, and despite his recent indictment in Atlanta – the polls reveal that he has a high chance of winning the Republican nomination.

His previous presidency is perhaps the most controversial one in American history – having pulled the country from the Paris Agreement claiming climate change to be a hoax, obliterated the Affordable Care Act implemented by Obama, and vetoed student loan forgiveness.'

Oddly, Trump supported the return of the abortion pill in the June 2024 presidential debate.

👉 As of March 2024, Trump's name is set to be on the ballot across all states despite his current indictments – with the U.S. supreme court having overturned several state's efforts to remove his name from the ballot.

In June 2024, following the first presidential election – Trump was leading in the polls ahead of Biden.

However, tensions rose once again after an attempted assassination in July 2024 by 20-year-old Matthew Crooks during a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump was left grazed by a bullet on his ear, and escorted by the secret service shortly after – but at least one person lost their life and a few remain critically injured. As a result, the U.S. has once again evaluated the growing, deep divide between the nation and its two political parties.

As for Trump’s climate policy, it has always been on the back burner as opposed to the economy – such as by refusing to improve the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NASSQS) and replacing the Clean Power Plan with a less effective form of regulation.

👉 Many believe that Trump’s actions while in office may have created insufferable consequences for the ongoing fight against climate change – seeing as he rolled back over 100 different environmental regulations.

Even if Trump has a change of heart and begins to acknowledge climate change, it is probable that he will continue to prioritize creating jobs to focus on economic recovery.

September 2024 Trump vs. Harris Debate Recap

The much awaited debate between Harris and Trump allowed the two candidates to further explain their stance on several issues regarding the country, such as how they would handle the Israel Hamas War, Oil Fracking, Ukraine and Russia, healthcare, and more.

Here’s a recap of the topics discussed during the September 10th, 2024 presidential debate:

Women’s Rights – Harris reiterated majority of women in the U.S. want reproductive rights – and Trump claimed he wouldn’t sign a national abortion ban and hasn’t discussed it with his Vice President JD Vance. On this note, Harris warned Americans on Project 2025 and provided a compelling an anecdote of a young woman needing to travel on a plane for an abortion – then referring to Trump how he is making it difficult and expensive for women in the U.S.to take care of themselves.
Immigration – Trump pontificated how millions of illegal citizens crossed the border under the Biden-Harris administration, and that it is one of his priorities to evacuate all “aliens” from the country. Trump also made the now infamous comment that immigrants are eating pets, though NPR later fact checked this to be false. The debate also brought up the issue of immigration reaching an all time high from Central America from border – where Harris refuted that Trump’s immigration policy was deplorable and that his previous administration spoke ill of him.

💡 Ultimately, Harris largely avoided the question – leaving her views on how to handle border control moving forward vague.

“ “Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens in prison.” – Trump says of Harris on immigration, who he claimed to be a radical level president.” ”

Inflation – The two presidents discussed grocery prices, and Trump blamed the Biden Harris administration on the state of economy – citing classic American foods such as bacon and cereal that Trump wants to ensure people can afford. Harris retorted with the notion that Trump isn’t there to help the middle class, but to provide tax breaks for the wealthy.
Oil Fracking – Harris claimed she will not ban fracking, and explained how she was the tie breaking vote on Inflation Reduction Act which discussed new leases for fracking. Instead of banning oil fracking, Harris illustrated the importance of investing in diverse sources of energy as the U.S. has the largest production in domestic oil production in history. In short, Harris’s approach to oil fracking is in the same vein as someone trying to diversify their diet to be healthier, but not cut out sugar entirely.

💡 At this point in the debate, Kamala discussed her values again protecting social security and medicare, protect seniors from scams – Trump refuted that she’s been against oil fracking for 12 years.

“ “A president who actually brings values and perspective that is about lifting people up, and not beating people down. The true measure of a leader is the leader that actually understands that strength is not in beating people down, it’s in lifting people up – and I intend to be that president.” – Kamala Harris” ”

👉 Even Taylor Swift endorsed Harris last night following the debate, after much controversy with fellow NFL wife Brittney Homes supporting Trump, Trump thanking the Mahomes, and Trump developing false AI pictures of Swift’s endorsement. In true millennial fashion, Swift signed her endorsement statement as a, “childless cat lady” – as a callback to the backlash Trump’s VP J.D. Vance has received in light of recent commentary regarding single, childless women in the United States.

The September 2024 presidential debate then delved into more specific, current issues – such as storming the Capital Building in 2021, Trump’s indictment, and the Israel Hamas War.

Here’s a recap of the other topics discussed during the September 2024 presidential debate:

Storming the Capital Building January 6th

Trump stated during the debate that he regrets nothing, whereas Harris claims it to have been a “violent mob” provoked by the resident himself– and reiterated that he has been indicted and attempted to be impeached.

Perpetuating anti semitic hate, Harris reminded everyone that Trump said, “there were fine people on each side” – before stating that she wants “turn the page” and not have Americans hold anymore stigmas towards respect for one another, and creating a more supportive community for all people of color.

Trump’s Loss Against Biden in 2020

Trump was in disbelief of his own previous tweets when he lost reelection in 2020, quipping, “I said that?” – and re-framing his old statements such as, “he lost by a whisker” as sarcasm.

The previous president also claimed his 75 million popular votes should have granted him reelection. Trump then reiterated the need for borders and good elections, going as far as to insult illegal immigrants by shaming them for not speaking English or “not even knowing what country they’re in.”

Harris then retorted that he was “fired by 81 million people” and that it is clear “he is having a hard time processing this.”

Israel/Hamas War

Harris breaks down how she would get through the person holding the remaining 100 hostages, and also stated her belief that Israel has a right to defend itself – but claims the war must end, and the way will be with a ceasefire deal. She agrees to work around the clock for, as she emphasized, a two state solution to provide security for the Israelis and equal measure for the Palestinians.

💡In addition to this, Harris wants to help rebuild Gaza, ensure Palenstine’s security, and help them keep their dignity.

Trump says he would negotiate with the Israeli president, but then jumps to the Ukraine and Russia conflict, failing to answer the question at hand – as he states the war would’ve never started as Russia would’ve never gone into Ukraine and killed millions of people. Trump also claimed that Harris “hates Israel” and wouldn’t meet Netanyahu and that she hates the Arab population.

Overall, Trump spoke about the Middle East as a whole – stating he’ll get “that”, in addition to the Russia and Ukraine conflict, settled fast before he becomes president– but doesn’t explain how he’ll accomplish this.

Harris retorts that he is weak and wrong on national security, and claims that he is a dictator who worships national leaders that exhibit this same behavior.

“ “They can manipulate you with flattery and favors.” – Harris on Trump’s inability to properly reason or converse with other national leaders.” ”

Ukraine & Russia Conflict

“ “That is a war dying to be settled.” – Trump on the Ukraine and Russia conflict, claiming his close relationship with Putin despite his recent announcement hoping that Harris will win the election.” ”

Trump claims we’re playing with World War 3, but doesn’t talk about the Israel/Hamas war – stressing how it is in the best interest of the U.S. to “get this thing done” on Ukraine and Russia.

Harris says she met with Zelenskyy (claims she has met with him over 5 times, contrary to Trump’s comments) a few days before Russia invaded to discuss sovereignty and integrity. In fact, Harris shares that she provided information from U.S. intelligence to help him and his country defend themselves.

Harris then claims Trumps would give up for what he thinks is a “friendship” who would “eat Trump for lunch.” Trump simply reiterates that the war should’ve never started, and doesn’t explain how he would help end the conflict – and simply blames Harris as one of “the worst negotiators”.

Afghanistan

When Harris is questioned on her responsibility for the withdrawal of soldiers who died – she agrees with Biden’s choice to pull out, praising him for being the first of 4 presidents to act on it.

She then claims Trump negotiated one of the weakest terrible deals by bypassing the Afghanistan government, how he worked with Taliban terrorists which resulted in 5,000 of them being released, and then criticized Trump for having invited Taliban to Camp David – where Americans honor the importance of U.S. diplomacy.

👉 This was a rare moment in this debate where Harris leads with Trump's mistakes instead of her own approach or directly answering the question.

Trump answered that the Taliban was killing soldiers and he got involved as they were doing the killing. He then praised his own threatening abilities, citing that he told him, “Stop, or you’ll have issues” – sending a picture of his house as an ultimatum. Trump claims this tactic helped to avoid more casualties and 85 billion dollars of new military equipment for the US.

Ethnic Identity

Trump claims he doesn’t care about Harris’s ethnicity– despite his previous comments. Harris then claims it’s a “tragedy” that someone who wants to be president has previously used the color of people’s skin to divide the American people.

Harris refers to Trump calling for execution for the Central Park 5 Boys to be executed and who spread misinformation on Obama to reiterate that Americans don’t want a leader that encourages people to “point the other finger” at one another.

💡 Essentially, she stresses that the strong divide in the country would not only continue – but worsen under a second Trump term.

“ “What I do offer, is a new generation of leadership for our country.” – Kamala Harris” ”

Harris used this moment in the debate to share some of tangible goals to be implemented:

A $50,000 tax deduction for small businesses
A $6,000 stipend for struggling families for first year of child’s life
A $25,000 down payment assistance for first time home buyers

Trump simply answered once more that the Biden Harris administration destroyed the country, and circled back to the economy to ignore the original question on ethnicity.

Health Care

Trump claimed Obama care was “lousy”, but reiterates he is “working on something” but doesn’t provide any details on how he would improve the current healthcare crisis or system in the country.

Harris stated her support for the choice for private healthcare, but wants to strengthen the Affordable Care Act. At this juncture, she reminded Americans to look at history to see where Trump stands on healthcare– further explaining how she will help all people to bring the value of fair access to healthcare, and not making it a privilege the way Trump intends to do so.

Trump retorts that Harris wants people to be on a waiting list for 6 months for a necessary operation before being interrupted by the organizers conducting the debate.

Guns

Though brief, it is worth mentioning that Harris retorts to Trump by revealing that both she and Waltz are gun owners and that she’s not trying to take anyone’s guns away, telling Trump to “stop lying” on their stance on this issue.

Harris and Waltz have made clear their intent to tackle gun violence in the country by working to ban assault rifles and ensuring more thorough background checks.

Climate Change

Harris would not follow Trump’s “hoax” claim, explains home insurance issues, victims of losing their home such as having occurred with the Hawaii wildfires, and young people caring about this issue – Harris is proud of the trillion dollar investment in clean economy, but also their efforts to increase domestic gas production and create job opportunities.

💡 It’s likely that Harris took this stance to adhere to voters who value both the economy or climate change.

Trump talks about the massive plants being made, doesn’t say anything about how he would tackle climate change – simply prioritizes the economy once more. At the end of his response, Trump states that the U.S. can’t sacrifice our country to invest in more sustainable sources of energy because “we’re not ready for it” – comparing the US to Germany.

Closing Debate Statements

Harris wants people to “not go back” and explains that to achieve the American dream, we need a plan – and that she intends intends to create an opportunity economy, small businesses, help families protect seniors, and give hard workers in the U.S. a break from the high cost of living to help Americans across the country live more comfortably.

She also summarizes her values on respecting the military, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and making the right investments today to build a stronger country tomorrow.

Trump retorted that Harris hasn’t done any of the things she just listed, such as failing to create jobs or fix the border. He didn’t provide a mission statement for his presidency, choosing to cite Harris’s failure to encourage oil fracking and to not prioritize the economy.

He also reiterated his stance on the wars, stresses his passion for getting rid of immigrants, and speaks about rebuilding the military – but again, doesn’t discuss his intent as a president in the future.

VP Debate: Vance vs. Walz

The two vice presidents had a debate on October 1st, 2024 – here's a recap of the events discussed during the debate:

Vance avoided discussing the topic of January 6th when the capital building was stormed
Vance stated he supports clean air & clean water, but stated he isn't concerned about carbon emissions
The impact of Hurricane Helene was discussed
Walz stated that reducing our environmental impact as a nation is critical and that jobs can be created at the same time without forsaking the conomy
The two men disagreed on their views on immigration, each siding with their presidential running mate

Ultimately, the vice presidential debate was well received by many – as viewers commended the men's ability to stay political, respectful, and refrain from name calling.

👉 Tim Walz is set to ramp up his media appearances following the debate in addition to a bus tour to further promote the Harris-Walz campaign.

How do Trump and Harris Differ on Climate Change?

Trump and Harris couldn’t be more different when it comes to their views on climate change and how they would incorporate environmental legislation into their policies if they were to be elected as president.

Harris has still made it clear that she plans to support the fight against climate change in any way she can, whereas Trump has pontificated his values to build economic value for the country no matter the cost – even if it means making global warming worse than it already is today.

Here are some of the main differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s ecology policies:

Kamala Harris’s Ecology Policies

“ I care about the environment not because I have any particular desire to hug a tree, but I have a strong desire to hug a healthy baby. – Kamala Harris. ”

Harris has discussed her climate policies, such as by ensuring the U.S. rejoins the Paris Climate Agreement, supporting the Green New Deal and various strategies to work towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and investing in renewable forms of energy such as wind farms and solar panels to help drive down excess emissions.

💡 In addition to this, Harris plans to support the EPA in whatever resources they need to promote vital environmental protocols, engage in efforts to protect endangered wildlife, and reduce deforestation projects to ensure natural land is safeguarded.

However, despite the hope & promise Harris embodies for millions of Americans to tackle the global threat of climate change (much of which is attributed by the United States itself) – Harris only briefly mentioned climate change at a recent Chicago convention. This has some concerned if Harris's promises regarding the environment are more for show than action.

Donald Trump’s Ecology Policies

Unlike Kamala Harris, Trump has always been skeptical of the need to implement climate change policies – having infamously withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement when he was president.

Trump’s main values continue to center around economic growth and prosperity, such as by aiding the fossil fuel industry over climate change endeavors – allowing the production of coal, oil, and natural gas to take precedence over rising global temperatures.

In addition to this, Trump values job creation and cutting back on environmental regulations such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act – holding firm on the belief that investing elsewhere will prove more lucrative for the country moving forward.

👉 Ultimately, it is evident that Trump will continue to prioritize economic growth over climate change – whereas Harris plans to make the environment one of the focal points of her presidency.

Takeaway for the 2024 Presidential Election

Evidently, with a wide array of candidates – next year’s presidential election is going to be an engrossing event.

Unsurprisingly, the battle has come down between Biden and Trump – making the election even more nerve-wracking and head-to-head than the 2020 election. The next couple of months will be paramount in terms of polls and presidential debates as these two infamous presidents battle for the presidential chair.

We hope this guide has helped inform you on which presidential candidates are most suited for your values and beliefs. Be sure to follow Greenly for more news on the 2024 presidential election and other climate policy matters.

What about Greenly?

If reading this article about how the 2024 presidential election has made you interested in reducing your carbon emissions to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!

It can be overwhelming to figure out how climate policies could have an impact on your business, but don’t worry – Greenly is here to help. Click here to schedule a demo to see how Greenly can help you find ways to ensure your company is complying with all current and future environmental regulations.

Greenly can help you make an environmental change for the better, starting with a carbon footprint assessment to know how much carbon emissions your company produces.