6 November, 2026

Waking up on Wednesday morning, we were greeted by a blue wave across America as voters went to the polls in the midterm elections, widely seen as a referendum on the first half of President Trump’s second term. With Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress, we can’t help but wonder what the result could mean for the climate and energy agenda.

Climate may not have been the defining issue in an election dominated by concerns around affordability, AI policy, immigration, and the war in Iran, but the consequences for climate action could still be significant. While new climate legislation may be on the horizon and a more supportive political backdrop could counter greenhushing, perhaps a less discussed but equally important impact is the potential for greater scrutiny and investigation of businesses.

Democratic control of Congressional committees brings greater power to investigate corporate activity, request documents and call executives to testify. Energy prices, electricity demand and the relationship between government and the oil and gas industry are all likely to come under the spotlight. For the past few years, many U.S. businesses have been cautious about how publicly they discuss climate issues and their business response, allowing some to evade scrutiny and roll back commitments. Investigations and congressional testimony could force companies to answer questions in the public sphere that they have largely been able to avoid. That could put climate firmly back into boardroom conversations, as pressure from Congress begins to pull corporate behaviour in a different direction.

While the politics will inevitably remain polarised, businesses would be wise to look to what survives beyond any one election cycle. Energy security, affordability, competitiveness and climate risk are long-term challenges, whatever the political weather. But if this result pushes those issues back into boardrooms and public debate, it could help put climate action on firmer footing for the years ahead.

By Meg Seckel