Comprehensive Guide to Trump’s Executive Actions on ESG, DEI & Environmental Policy

The recent wave of executive orders issued under the Trump Administration marks a dramatic shift in the landscape of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy, sustainability initiatives, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs at the federal level. From rescinding previous climate-related directives to terminating DEI programs and altering federal enforcement priorities, these sweeping changes have far-reaching implications for businesses, contractors, educational institutions and other stakeholders across all sectors.

In this post, we provide a comprehensive overview of President Trump’s latest executive actions impacting ESG, sustainability, and related regulatory frameworks, highlighting the core elements of each order, and linking to relevant analysis.

ESG & Sustainability Executive Orders

DEI/Social Issues

• EO 14151 – Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing
• EO 14168 – Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government
• EO 14173 – Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity
  • Requires all departments and agencies to terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements. Rescinds executive orders and Presidential memoranda related to federal actions and initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion, including Executive Order 11246 (Equal Employment Opportunity). Directs the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to immediately cease promoting diversity and holding federal contractors and subcontractors responsible for taking affirmative action. Does not apply to employment and contracting preferences for veterans. Requires each agency head to include in every contract or grant award a term/provision that makes compliance with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws material to the government’s payment decisions, which includes a certification that the contractor/recipient does not operate any DEI programs that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws. Directs federal agencies to encourage private sector to advance the policy of individual initiative, excellence, and hard work.
  • Analyzing President Trump’s Latest Executive Order Titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”
  • The Squeeze is the Juice – Utilization of The False Claims Act in the DEI/Government Contracting Executive Order
  • How Far Do They Reach? Four Issues Entities Should Consider When Analyzing the Trump Administration Executive Orders Related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Trump DEI Executive Orders – Impacts on Small Businesses and Small Business Subcontracting
  • What Should Contractors and Grant Recipients do in Response to the DEI Executive Orders?
  • The Trump Administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Executive Orders: A Brief Primer
• EO 14202 – Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias
  • This EO creates a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, which must review the activities of all executive agencies and determine any anti-Christian policies or practices and make corrective recommendations.
• EO 14281 – Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy

Education

• EO 14190 – Ending Racial Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling
  • This EO seeks to prohibit recipients of federal funds providing K-12 education from using “discriminatory” ideologies, primarily based on race, color, sex, or national origin. Various heads of agencies are directed to draft policy recommendations to enforce this EO. Further, the “1776 Commission” is reestablished with the goal of promoting patriotic education. All relevant agencies are directed to monitor compliance with the requirement that all educational institutions with federal funds hold a yearly constitution education program.

Environment/Energy

• EO 14156 – Declaring a National Energy Emergency
  • The EO declares a national energy emergency due to the United States’ inadequate energy supply and infrastructure. The EO directs federal agencies to utilize emergency authorities, expedite energy infrastructure projects, and leverage resources under laws like the Defense Production Act. It also calls for consultations under the Endangered Species Act to facilitate energy supply and outlines coordinated efforts to enhance the nation’s energy security.
• Memo – Environment/Energy Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California
  • The Memo directs federal agencies to route water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of California.
• EO 14154 – Unleashing American Energy
  • The EO establishes a policy of fossil fuel exploration on federal lands and continental shelf, mining of non-fuel minerals, eliminates the “EV mandate”, and general deregulation of energy and consumer appliances. It promotes energy exploration on federal lands, strengthens the U.S. position in mineral production, and encourages regulatory reforms to eliminate burdensome mandates and support consumer choice. The order revokes several prior climate-related EOs (13990, 13992, 14008, 14007, 14013, 14027, 14030, 14037, 14057, 14072, 14082, and 14096) and streamlines the permitting process to expedite energy project approvals. Additionally, it focuses on ensuring accurate environmental analyses and addressing national security implications related to mineral reliance.
  • US renewable energy projects threatened by Trump’s presidential actions
  • Trump’s Executive Order to End E.V. Subsidies Draws Pushback – The New York Times
• EO 14153 – Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential
  • The EO establishes a policy to harvest Alaska’s natural resources. The EO reverses previous restrictions on resource development, particularly on state and federal lands. It mandates federal agencies to expedite permitting, leasing, and development of Alaskan resources, with a focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects. Additionally, it requires the revision or rescission of regulations that hinder these objectives, requiring collaboration among various governmental departments to facilitate infrastructure and resource projects in Alaska.
• EO 14162 – Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements
• Memo – Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects
  • The Memo “temporarily” withdraws all areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from wind energy leasing to assess and review federal leasing and permitting practices for wind projects. Existing leases remain unaffected, but the EO requires a comprehensive review to be conducted to evaluate their necessity. Additionally, a temporary cessation of federal wind leasing and permitting is ordered until a thorough review is completed, with a focus on the environmental impact, legal deficiencies, and economic costs associated with wind projects.
  • What Trump’s executive order means for U.S. wind energy and permits – The Washington Post
• EO 14181 – Emergency Measures To Provide Water Resources in California and Improve Disaster Response in Certain Areas
  • This EO directs various Secretaries (Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Commerce, Agriculture) to ensure water resources in Southern California, including: override activities impeding water delivery, maximize water delivery through the Central Valley Project (CVP), expedite exemptions under the Endangered Species Act for water projects, and identify and address regulatory hurdles for water-supply projects. Further, OMB shall review Federal programs affecting land and water management, with recommendations to ensure compliance and disaster prevention.
• EO 14225 – Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production
  • This EO directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to implement various policy changes and guidance to increase the production of timber, lumber, paper, bioenergy, and other wood products.
• EO 14241 – Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production
  • This EO states that it is imperative to national security to facilitate domestic mineral production to the maximum extent possible and directs various agency actions to do so. Further, special requirements are waived pursuant to the national emergency declared in EO 14156, including 50 U.S.C. 4533(a)(1) through (a)(6); 50 U.S.C. 4531(d)(1)(a)(ii), 4332(d)(1)(B), and 4533(a)(1) through (a)(6).
• EO 14261 – Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241
  • This EO directs the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) to designate coal as a “mineral” as defined in section 2 of Executive Order 14241 of March 20, 2025 (Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production), thereby entitling coal to all the benefits of a “mineral” under that order. Agencies that are empowered to make loans, loan guarantees, grants, equity investments, or to conclude offtake agreements, both domestically and abroad, shall, to the extent permitted by law, take steps to rescind any policies or regulations seeking to or that actually discourage investment in coal production and coal-fired electricity generation. The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Energy, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for National Security, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall take all necessary and appropriate actions to promote and identify export opportunities for coal and coal technologies and facilitate international offtake agreements for United States coal. The Secretaries of Energy and Interior shall determine whether coal/steel meets the definition of “critical material” under the Energy Act of 2020. The Secretary of Energy shall take all necessary actions, consistent with applicable law, to accelerate the development, deployment, and commercialization of coal technologies.
• Proclamation – Regulatory Relief for Certain Stationary Sources to Promote American Energy
  • Proclaims that certain stationary sources subject to 89 FR 38508 are exempt from compliance for a period of 2 years beyond the Rule’s compliance date — i.e., for the period beginning July 8, 2027, and concluding July 8, 2029. The effect of this Exemption is that, during this 2-year period, these stationary sources are subject to the compliance obligations that they are currently subject to under the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (“MATS”) as the MATS existed prior to 89 FR 38508.
• EO 14260 – Protecting American Energy from State Overreach
  • This EO tasks the AG with identifying and halting enforcement of state and local laws affecting domestic energy resources that may be unconstitutional or preempted by federal law, with a focus on those related to climate change and environmental initiatives. A report to the President detailing actions taken and recommendations for further measures is required within 60 days.
• EO 14262 – Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid
  • This EO empowers the Secretary of Energy to enhance the reliability and security of the U.S. electric grid during potential supply interruptions. It mandates expedited processes for grid operations and the development of a uniform methodology to analyze reserve margins. The order also establishes protocols for regularly assessing critical generation resources to ensure they remain available and prevent capacity reductions.
• EO 14270 – Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy
  • This EO directs the listed agencies and listed rules, where the agency is directed to issue a sunset rule effective no later than September 30, 2025, in that covered regulation. The sunset provision shall provide that the agency will offer the public an opportunity to comment on the costs and benefits of each regulation prior to a rule’s expiration, and following such opportunity the Conditional Sunset Date for that Covered Regulation may be extended if the agency finds an extension is warranted.
• Memo – Directing the Repeal of Unlawful Regulations
  • This Memo orders agencies to take steps to repeal any regulation that exceeds its statutory authority, especially considering the listed court decisions (see memo for full list). This follows the review period ordered in Executive Order 14219.
• EO 14264 – Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads
  • This EO directs the Secretary of Energy to publish in the Federal Register a notice rescinding Energy Conservation Program: Definition of Showerhead, 86 Fed. Reg. 71797 (December 20, 2021), including the definition of “showerhead” codified at 10 C.F.R. 430.2. The rescission shall be effective 30 days from the date of publication of the notice, without a notice and comment period.
• Proclamation – Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific
  • This Proclamation amends the management of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument as initially set by Proclamation 9173, reverting to the management specifications of Proclamation 8336. Key points include the following: the Secretary of the Interior handles Monument Expansion management, while the Secretary of Commerce oversees fishery-related activities. Commercial fishing is allowed in specific zones, with only U.S.-flagged vessels permitted, except for certain transshipments. Military activities and national interests are intended to remain protected, and new rules to ease commercial fishing restrictions are to be proposed. Existing management remains unchanged unless stated.
• EO 14285 – Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources
  • This EO aims to strengthen US leadership in seabed mineral exploration and development to address national security and economic challenges related to critical mineral supplies. This initiative involves enhancing domestic capabilities, fostering international partnerships, and streamlining permitting processes while ensuring environmental standards. Key actions include mapping seabed resources, supporting investment in relevant technologies, and collaborating with allies to counter foreign influence, particularly from China. The plan also emphasizes creating a robust domestic supply chain for these minerals to support economic growth and military preparedness.
• EO 14314 – Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks
  • This Executive Order directs the Department of the Interior to revise pricing, access, and infrastructure policies for national parks and related lands. The goal is to increase revenue from foreign visitors, enhance affordability and access for U.S. residents, reduce maintenance backlogs, and encourage broader domestic and international use of underutilized parks. The order revokes a 2017 memorandum on diversity and inclusion and calls for agency rule reviews to align with the current administration’s recreational access policy.
• Memo – Simplifying the Funding of Energy Infrastructure and Critical Mineral and Material Projects
  • The Memo directs federal agencies to coordinate more closely when funding energy-infrastructure and critical-mineral projects. Agencies must share application and award data with the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), pause new obligations if applicants refuse to allow that sharing, revise their own rules to facilitate it, and work with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to create a single, government-wide funding application that applicants can submit once for multiple programs. The goal is to cut duplicative reviews, speed decisions, and strengthen domestic energy and critical-mineral supply chains.
• Memo – Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Generate Power for the Columbia River Basin
  • The Memo revokes the September 27, 2023, memorandum that prioritized ecological restoration in the Columbia River Basin—specifically efforts to breach dams for fish protection. It directs the withdrawal from the associated litigation MOU, rescinds the 2024 environmental review process, and requires Federal agencies to reassess and report on actions, commitments, and funding tied to the previous administration’s policy.

Federal Employees

• Memo – Removing Discrimination and Discriminatory Equity Ideology From the Foreign Service
  • The Memo directs that the Secretary of State shall revise the 2022-2025 Decision Criteria for Tenure and Promotion in the Foreign Service, issued under section 2326.2 of title 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual, to remove any reference to the Core Precept entitled “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.” The Secretaries shall promptly direct all employees of their Departments not to give this Core Precept any force or effect. Further, Secretaries shall direct all officers and employees of their Departments not to base Foreign Service recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention decisions upon an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or while acting in an official capacity, promote, advocate for, or otherwise inculcate support for equity ideology. Secretaries shall take appropriate action if any current Foreign Service Members have knowingly and willfully engaged in unconstitutional or otherwise illegal discrimination based upon race or other protected characteristics.

Foreign Affairs

• EO 14169 – Reevaluating and Realigning US Foreign Aid
  • This EO requires the applicable heads of departments and agencies to pause new awards of development assistance funds and prevent disbursement of funds under existing awards to foreign countries, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and contractors pending review. Department of State will develop guidelines for review and departments/agencies will use guidelines to determine whether to continue, modify, or cease foreign assistance programs. Secretary of State may waive the pause for specific programs (no further information provided on waiver).
  • Trump Administration Issues “Pause” on Federal Grant Spending Effective January 28
• EO 14199 – Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations
  • This EO terminates US participation with UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and directs a review of US participation with the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Further, US agencies shall not contribute any funds to UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Secretary of State and UN Ambassador shall conduct a review of all international intergovernmental organizations that the US is a member of and provides funding to. Lastly, the Secretary of State shall inform the UN that the US will not satisfy any claims to 2025 payments to these organizations. 
• EO 14209 – Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security
  • This EO directs the AG to review policies governing the investigations and enforcement actions under the FCPA for a period of 180 days. This review shall include a pause of any new investigations. The AG may extend this for an additional 180 days if deemed appropriate.

Health and Life Sciences

• EO 14155 – Withdrawing The United States From The World Health Organization
  • This EO announces the intent to withdraw from the WHO. Revokes Executive Order 13987 (Organizing and Mobilizing the United States Government to Provide a Unified and Effective Response to Combat COVID–19 and to Provide United States Leadership on Global Health and Security). Pauses transfer of any government funds to the WHO and recalls/reassigns government personnel and contractors working in any capacity with the WHO. Requires review and replacement of the 2024 US Global Health Security Strategy as soon as practicable.
• EO 14182 – Enforcing the Hyde Amendment
  • This EO states that it is the policy of this administration, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end Federal taxpayer funds for elective abortion. Further, it revokes EO 14076 (Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services) and EO 14079 (Securing Access to Reproductive and Other Healthcare Services). The Director of OMB shall promulgate guidance to the heads of executive departments and agencies related to implementation.
• EO 14216 – Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization
  • This EO directs the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to submit a list of policy recommendations on protecting IVF access and reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment to the President within 90 days.
• EO 14273 – Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First
  • This EO seeks to optimize Federal health care programs, intellectual property protections, and safety regulations to provide access to prescription drugs at lower costs. The EO directs various agency actions to achieve this goal.
• EO 14297 – Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients

This EO seeks to align U.S. prescription drug prices with those in comparably developed countries by implementing a “most-favored-nation” pricing strategy. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to communicate price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers within 30 days and to facilitate direct-to-consumer programs offering drugs at the most-favored-nation price. If significant progress is not made, the order authorizes additional actions, including proposed rulemaking, importation certifications, antitrust enforcement, export controls, and potential FDA regulatory reviews. The order also calls on the Department of Commerce and USTR to address international pricing practices that contribute to disproportionately high drug costs for American consumers.

This article was co-authored by Sidney Howe