Our View: With second Trump term, will sustainability efforts continue, or die on the vine?

Alot is going to change under a second Trump administration.

Particularly the U.S.'s approach to sustainability initiatives.

Trump has been—frustratingly—flippant about climate science. He's laughed off the very real—and serious—impacts of climate change on our world—its oceans, lands, animals and people.

So it's unlikely the president will take seriously the sustainability efforts required to meet much-needed climate goals like those set by the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5ºC.

That leaves a big question: Do we?

Do we, as an industry, truly believe in the sustainability efforts and visions that have been laid out by our companies in the last few years? Do we stand behind our goals with the same zeal we did when the governmental policies favored sustainability?

From electric vehicles and producing a truly sustainable tire, to making the long-term trek away from petrochemicals to green energy alternatives, the tire and rubber industry has been working to "walk the walk" in these efforts. The discussions have gone from the "buzz word" stage to meaningful progress where, while the end goals still remain years away, the light along the horizon truly is starting to come into focus.

But as the Biden administration enters the lame duck phase and Trump 2.0 begins, now is the time to show the importance of these endeavors and push forward to meet these sustainability targets.

Because it's highly unlikely that a Trump administration will challenge companies or hold them accountable on sustainability-driven issues. In fact, it's more likely that the administration will demolish any sustainability strides taken under President Biden.

Take the energy industry, for instance. Bill Hyde, vice president of olefins and elastomers at Chemical Market Analytics, said he's expecting a whole lot more drilling and pipeline building because a Trump administration heavily backs the fossil fuel industry.

Hyde seems to be spot on.

Trump has, after all, tapped Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy—the world's second-largest fracking company—as the secretary of the energy department. In a video posted to LinkedIn last year, Wright flat out denied the realities of climate change.

"There is no climate crisis," he said in the 12-minute video before explaining why terms like climate crisis and carbon pollution are "deceptive and destructive."

This is just proof that, when it comes to sustainability, rubber industry companies are going to have to lead the way themselves. They will need to prove that the sustainability initiatives they have been proud to implement truly matter.

Essentially, it comes down to doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

Well, it's not entirely true that nobody is looking. Because sustainability still matters to many investors. Moreover, it's still at the forefront of European Union regulations. And with so many U.S. companies serving global markets, those EU regulations likely will set the bar for many of the industry's sustainability strides.

So the choice is yours. Do you continue on the sustainability path many of you have forged? Or do you take this as an out to slide backwards into old practices?