The White House confirmed on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, that there is no draft or consideration of any executive order targeting the tax-exempt status of climate-focused non-profit organisations.

This development follows after speculations arose that the Trump administration might attempt to revoke the tax-exempt status of environmental organisations on Tuesday, which also happened to be Earth Day. Last week, President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, suggested that Harvard University should lose its tax-exempt status for opposing the administration’s directives.

“Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?” Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!” Trump wrote. 

Despite assurances from the White House, various environmental groups have been mobilising to brace for a wave of upcoming executive orders.

On Tuesday, the White House released an Earth Day statement detailing the administration’s efforts to protect the environment. The outlined initiatives include promoting carbon capture and storage technology, advancing nuclear and geothermal energy, expanding sustainable logging and forest management practices, and eliminating the mandatory use of paper straws.

The statement highlighted that the Trump Administration has prioritised access to federal lands for energy development while ensuring responsible management. By opening more federal lands and waters to oil, gas, and critical mineral extraction, the US is strengthening its energy security and reducing its reliance on foreign resources.

The statement also mentioned Trump’s tariffs on China as a strategy to promote American manufacturing and decrease reliance on China’s high-pollution industries, which will ensure positioning the US as a leader in cleaner production and responsible global stewardship.