EU Climate Chief Stunned by Trump’s “Watershed” Pivot on Green Industry

In a move that has left Brussels “cautiously optimistic” and “a little stunned,” EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has praised what he calls a “watershed moment” in U.S. climate policy. The shift comes from an unlikely source: President Donald Trump, who appears to be pivoting from his long-held “drill, baby, drill” rhetoric.
After a first term defined by exiting the Paris Agreement and championing fossil fuels, the Trump administration is now reportedly signaling a new, pragmatic approach. Recent statements indicate a fresh support for energy transition and green industry incentives, a move that could reshape global cooperation on emissions and clean technology.
Hoekstra, who has recently been focused on the EU’s own struggles to meet 2040 emissions targets, noted the unexpected change in tone from Washington. While the Trump administration is still skipping high-level talks at the upcoming COP30 summit in Brazil, the new rhetoric acknowledging the profitability and job-creating potential of the clean tech sector has caught the EU’s attention.
The pivot is not a full embrace of the Green New Deal, which the White House still calls a “scam.” Instead, it appears to be a pragmatic recognition of an entrenched, multi-trillion-dollar global industry. Even as the administration continues to roll back regulations, officials have been “directly engaging” with global leaders on “energy partnerships” that now include renewables.
This shift comes as the global energy transition continues to accelerate, with or without U.S. federal support. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that renewable energy investment will be 50% higher than fossil fuels in 2025.
While deep skepticism remains in Brussels, the potential for any U.S. cooperation on green technology is being seen as a critical, if shocking, development. As one EU official noted, hell may not have frozen over, but the political climate in Washington may finally be cooling enough to allow for talks on cutting carbon.