In brief
Two judges recently ruled in favor of releasing millions in climate funding previously halted, marking a significant win for environmental advocates.
Two federal judges made big waves in the climate funding arena on April 16, 2025, by ordering the Trump administration to unfreeze hundreds of millions of dollars in climate funds that were put on hold. U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan directed the immediate release of up to $625 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, also known as the “green bank” program, which supports climate initiatives that had been neglected since mid-February. In a separate ruling, Judge Mary S. McElroy from the District of Rhode Island mandated five federal agencies to release environmental and infrastructure funding that had been awarded to nonprofit organizations during the Biden era. She criticized the indefinite hold on these funds, stating that it was unreasonable and lacked justifiable explanation, foreshadowing further legal challenges against the administration’s attempts to freeze billions in funding derived from significant legislation passed in 2021 and 2022.Despite various court orders mandating the release of these funds, the Trump administration has relied on legal loopholes to maintain the freezes, arguing such actions were necessary to comply with executive orders. The ongoing tussle highlights the ongoing political and legal battles surrounding climate finance in the U.S.
