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Why climate change-related White House websites been taken down?

Key U.S. federal websites have removed climate, reproductive rights, and equity content under Trump’s 2nd term. Critics link this to policy shifts like exiting the Paris Agreement, raising concerns about transparency & public access to crucial information

By Ground Report Desk
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Why climate change-related White House websites been taken down?

Climate change” and “global warming” are disappearing from government websites Photograph: (X/Canva)

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When President Donald Trump's administration took over the White House website during his earlier tenure, it quickly made noticeable changes, including removing web pages highlighting climate change and environmental policies. Today, similar patterns have resurfaced, with federal websites across various agencies undergoing significant alterations or disappearing. This trend has drawn criticism and raised concerns about the government’s commitment to combating climate issues.

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Users attempting to access essential environmental resources, such as the White House's Environmental Justice page (https://whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/), the National Climate Task Force page (https://whitehouse.gov/climate/), and the Council on Environmental Quality page (https://whitehouse.gov/ceq/), now encounter "Page Not Found" errors. These removals follow the administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and reflect a broader pattern of eliminating access to critical climate and environmental justice information.

Prominent figures and environmental advocates, like Jenna Wadsworth, have highlighted these changes on X (formerly Twitter). Wadsworth noted the removal of Environmental Justice, National Climate Task Force, and Council on Environmental Quality pages from the White House website, coinciding with the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

Since January 19, 2025, several U.S. federal websites have been altered or taken down, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) climate change content has been modified or removed.

Notably, the EPA's Office of Science and Technology (OST) changed its description to exclude "science." Health and Human Services (HHS): Posts on X reported a pro-abortion HHS website has been taken down. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) webpage has been removed from the OPM site.

The dismantling of climate-related content began shortly after Trump took office in 2017. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) climate change section, a key public resource since the Clinton administration, was reduced. The Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and State Department followed suit, replacing "climate change" with euphemisms like "weather extremes" and "energy independence."

This shift reflected the Trump administration’s stance, which dismissed climate change as a hoax.” The administration prioritised deregulation to boost oil and gas production, a goal Trump’s team believed was hindered by international commitments like the Paris Agreement.

During his second term, Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. A White House statement instructed the U.S. Ambassador to notify the UN Secretary-General of the withdrawal. The announcement reiterated Trump’s scepticism about global warming and aimed to reduce perceived financial burdens associated with international climate commitments.

The White House dismissed some removals as technical errors or routine website updates. Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields assured the public that the missing content would be restored. “It’s day two. We are developing, editing, and tweaking the White House website,” Fields explained. However, sceptics argue these changes align too closely with political shifts to be mere coincidences.

The lack of centralised resources on climate and reproductive health creates gaps in public awareness and policy advocacy. Without reliable information, misinformation can thrive, further marginalising communities vulnerable to climate impacts and restrictive policies.

The removal of climate change-related pages from White House websites is not the first instance of such actions under the Trump administration. In 2017, a similar pattern emerged when terms like "climate change" and "global warming" were gradually erased from government websites, including those of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy, and other federal agencies

As climate change impacts communities worldwide, the role of transparent, accessible government information becomes crucial. Advocates stress the need for bipartisan commitment to science-based policies and restoring public trust in government.

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