Trump administration ordered to unfreeze funds authorized under Biden-era climate laws

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🗞️ Driving the news: A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funds allocated under two key Biden-era climate laws: the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
• The ruling compels five federal agencies to resume disbursement of awarded grants, blocking any future attempts to reimpose the freeze under a different guise
• The judgment was issued following legal action by environmental nonprofits who were denied access to their grants under the freeze

🔭 The context: The IRA and IIJA are cornerstone legislative efforts aimed at accelerating the U.S. clean energy transition and upgrading climate-resilient infrastructure
• Since taking office in 2025, the Trump administration has sought to redirect federal policy and spending, including pausing climate-related funding to reassess alignment with its agenda
• The ruling comes amid growing legal resistance to executive actions viewed as obstructing legislated climate commitments

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The court’s decision ensures that billions of dollars in previously approved climate funding will flow again to projects aimed at decarbonizing transportation, enhancing energy efficiency, and expanding renewable infrastructure
• Delays in these investments risk undermining national emissions targets and slowing progress on climate adaptation at a time when accelerating deployment is critical to meeting international climate goals.

⏭️ What's next: The affected agencies—including the Departments of Energy, Interior, and Agriculture—must immediately notify stakeholders and resume project funding
• The ruling sets a legal precedent restricting future executive actions that attempt to override congressional climate mandates
• With implementation back on track, eyes now turn to how swiftly funds can be deployed and whether remaining regulatory obstacles will slow progress before key milestones such as the 2030 emissions targets

💬 One quote: "We are pleased that a federal court has seen the Trump administration’s freeze of congressionally approved funds for what it is: another abuse of executive power that has already inflicted harm on communities nationwide." – Skye Perryman, President, Democracy Forward

📈 One stat: The Inflation Reduction Act alone authorizes over $370 billion in clean energy and climate-related investments—making it the largest federal commitment to climate action in U.S. history

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