Defend ABQ: Mayor Keller Flips the Script, Issues Executive Order to Fight Trump’s Climate Rollbacks

As the Trump administration continues its assault on environmental protections and climate progress, Mayor Tim Keller and the City of Albuquerque are defending public health, sustainability and future generations. In response to Trumps’ new executive order that props up the coal industry and undermines clean energy, today Mayor Keller signed an executive order reaffirming the City’s commitment to environmental justice and climate resilience.

“If Trump wants to govern by executive order, then so will we, only ours protects people, not polluters” said Mayor Tim Keller. “We’re stealing his playbook and rewriting it for Albuquerque, because this is how we defend our city, our climate and our future.”

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Trump’s recent executive order expands fossil fuel development, opens federal lands to coal mining, weakens clean air and water protections, and reverses conservation standards. These rollbacks jeopardize vulnerable communities, exacerbate climate risks, and threaten the long-term health and competitiveness of American cities.

In direct opposition, Mayor Keller’s executive order outlines a comprehensive plan to advance environmental justice, accelerate the transition to renewable energy and center historically underserved communities in climate adaptation. Mayor Keller signed the order at the 2025 Electrify New Mexico Conference, an event that brings together policy makers, thought and business leaders to expand the renewable energy transition and create more climate resilient communities. 

 Key actions in Mayor Keller’s executive order include:

• Accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels in all municipal buildings
• Achieving 100% renewable energy for municipal operations by the end of 2025
• Aligning all City policies with the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050
• Prioritizing frontline communities in climate adaptation efforts, including the development of heat-resilient housing, equitable green infrastructure, and public health preparedness
• Elevating community voices, especially those from frontline neighborhoods, in environmental decision-making
• Opposing any federal actions or policies that obstruct local climate resilience, sustainability planning, or environmental justice efforts

“Cities like Albuquerque are once again being forced to lead where Washington fails, but we won’t let a return to fossil-fueled thinking derail our progress,” said Mayor Keller. “We’re staying the course for clean air, for public health, and for a future where every family has a shot at a healthy life.”

To learn how Trump’s policies are threatening our environment and what the City is doing in response, visit the Defend ABQ dashboard.

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