Chances are you’ve heard about Project 2025…but do you know what it means for the ocean? Project 2025, the four pillar strategy led by the Heritage Foundation for an incoming conservative Administration, presents serious implications for our ocean, climate, and communities as well as the core functions of our government and public trust in the science underpinning agency decisions on ocean and climate. 


It is critically important for ocean advocates to oppose the dangerous ocean policies that Project 2025 supports–especially as we continue to shatter ocean climate records in 2024 and Hurricane Ernesto bears down on Puerto Rico.


Please use this toolkit to learn more and call attention to how policies outlined in Project 2025 threaten #OceanClimateAction and the vital services NOAA and other agencies provide for our ocean, climate, and communities.



Project 2025 anti-ocean and environment themes:

Radically Restructuring Federal Agencies

  • Replace 50,000 federal employees with political loyalists (see: Schedule F; pg. 80 - 81, 677)

  • Break up NOAA and eliminate or privatize its functions (pg. 664, 674 - 677)

Dismantling Environmental Laws

  • Eliminate or gut environmental laws such as National Environmental Policy Act (pg. 60, 377, 407, 522, 533); Endangered Species Act (pg. 434, 524, 533 - 534, 676); Marine Mammal Protection Act (pg. 676); and Antiquities Act (pg. 532)

  • Rescind Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds (pg. 365, 424, 440)

  • Eliminate 30x30 (pg. 676)

  • Limit public input and prohibit judicial review (pg. 60, 533)

Blocking Offshore Wind & Expanding Oil and Gas

  • Eliminate renewable energy offices, redirect investments from renewable energy projects and rescind funds designated for renewable energy development (pg. 365, 368, 378-386)

  • Aggressively expand oil and gas drilling (521 - 524, 530)

Slashing Justice-Related Programs & Priorities

  • Eliminate environmental justice and diversity initiatives, including Justice40, across federal agencies (pg. 4-5, 103, 370, 421, 441)

  • Dissolve offices crucial for upholding environmental justice, enforcement, compliance assistance, and public engagement (pg. 421-422, 441)

Cutting Scientific & Climate Research

  • Eliminating “climate change” references across the entire government (Project 2025 Training Video)

  • Shift agency research towards fossil fuel and critical mineral development (pg. 286, 368 - 369, 376 - 377)

  • Transform DOE and end climate and renewable energy research (pg. 369, 378 - 382, 386)

  • Escalate DOD engagement in scientific and technological productions under the guise of energy security, making it harder to conduct oversight on research underlying agency decisions (pg. 99, 363 - 366, 368, 370 - 371, 392, 676)



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Basia Marcks, Ph.D.
Program Director 
Ocean Defense Initiative