The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has instituted a sweeping ban on commonly used climate-related terms under the direction of a Trump appointee, according to a report from Politico.
In an internal email sent Friday, Rachael Overbey, special advisor to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), instructed staffers to avoid specific language in all communications. The banned words include “climate change,” “green,” “decarbonization,” “energy transition,” “sustainability,” “sustainable,” “subsidies,” “tax breaks,” “tax credits,” “carbon footprint,” and even “emissions.”
The rationale behind the ban was not detailed, but the choice of words highlights the administration’s stance against renewable energy narratives. While “emissions” is a neutral dictionary term, the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases could be regulated as air pollutants, underscoring its legal and policy significance.
The EERE was originally created in the late 1970s as a response to the 1973 energy crisis, with the goal of promoting renewable energy and efficiency to stabilize the U.S. economy. However, under President Trump, the administration has pivoted sharply toward fossil fuel expansion. In recent speeches, Trump has derided the global energy transition as a “green energy scam.” Speaking at the United Nations last week, he went so far as to tell renewable-investing countries: “Your country is going to fail.”
The move comes despite evidence of strong momentum in the renewable sector. Global renewable energy investment hit a record $386 billion in the first half of 2025, up 10% year-over-year, according to BloombergNEF. Offshore wind and small-scale solar projects were key drivers of this growth.
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The ban is likely to intensify debate over how the U.S. communicates and positions itself on energy and climate issues, as the rest of the world continues to accelerate its shift toward cleaner technologies.
