Richard Klein, an expert on climate change policy for the Stockholm Environment Institute, has described U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory as a “significant setback” to climate action.

The 29th UN Climate Change Conference will convene in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22 in the ongoing efforts to attain net zero emissions by 2050.

The U.S. is considered very significant to the ongoing efforts to cut down emissions and raise cash for developing countries vulnerable to climate consequences.

However, Mr Klein believes that Mr Trump’s return to the White House might discourage countries like China from committing financially to the efforts.

“The U.S. at this COP is not just a lame duck, it’s a dead duck,” Mr Klein said in an interview with BBC. “They can’t commit to anything, and that means that countries like China will not want to commit to anything.”

“The U.S. basically wanted to have China cough up some money for that fund as well. Now, they won’t be able to do that. That leaves China off the hook,” Mr Klein added.

Evidence shows that the new president-elect, considered sceptical about climate action, will do less than expected as he has called efforts to boost green energy a “scam”.

In 2017, Mr Trump announced the U.S. would pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which represents the most important UN process for tackling climate change.

With him in charge again, his decision might negatively influence the ongoing climate efforts.

Developed countries such as the UK, the U.S. and the EU recently agreed to raise loss and damage funds to help developing countries cope with climate consequences.