1 day ago
2
US President Donald Trump has announced the United States' second withdrawal from the
Paris climate agreement
, at the Capital One Arena in Washington during his inaugural parade event. This decision by one of the world's largest carbon polluters undermines international efforts to address global warming and sets the US apart from its allies. The announcement, made as Trump began his second term on Monday, mirrors his 2017 stance.
The agreement aims to restrict long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels, or at minimum, maintain temperatures below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels.
What is Paris climate agreement?
The voluntary Paris agreement of 2015 enables nations to establish their own targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption. These targets are intended to become progressively stricter, with countries required to submit new plans by February 2025. The departing Biden administration recently proposed reducing US greenhouse gas emissions by over 60 per cent by 2035.
Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a principal architect of the Paris agreement, acknowledged the US withdrawal as unfortunate but emphasised that climate action transcends individual national policies.
The current situation differs significantly from 2017, according to Tubiana, noting substantial economic momentum in the global transition, which the US has benefited from but might now lose.
The International Energy Agency projects the global market for essential clean energy technologies will reach over $2 trillion by 2035, tripling its current size.
Executive order amid LA wildfires
Tubiana pointed to the severe wildfires in Los Angeles as evidence that Americans, like others worldwide, are experiencing the intensifying effects of climate change.
Gina McCarthy, former White House climate adviser under President Biden, stated that achieving American leadership in the global economy, energy independence, and job creation requires continued focus on expanding the clean energy sector.
Current global temperatures exceed mid-1800s levels by 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 degrees Celsius). Most climate monitoring organisations reported that global temperatures surpassed the 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit warming threshold last year, unanimously declaring it the warmest on record.
Withdrawal process requires one year
The Paris accord withdrawal process requires one year. Trump's previous withdrawal became effective the day after the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Biden.
Despite the initial shock of Trump's first withdrawal from the UN agreement - endorsed by 196 nations - no other country followed suit, according to Alden Meyer, a veteran climate negotiations analyst at E3G.
Other nations, along with US investors, businesses, governors, and mayors, maintained their commitment to addressing climate change, experts noted.
Nevertheless, they expressed concern about the loss of US leadership in global climate initiatives, particularly as the world faces increasingly severe weather events and record temperatures.
"Clearly America is not going to play the commanding role in helping solve the climate crisis, the greatest dilemma humans have ever encountered," said climate activist and writer Bill McKibben. "For the next few years the best we can hope is that Washington won't manage to wreck the efforts of others."
Half of Americans oppose withdrawing from accord
AP-NORC Centre polling indicates approximately half of Americans oppose withdrawing from the climate accord. Republican support for withdrawal is not overwhelming, with slightly less than half in favour and about one-fifth opposed.
China surpassed the United States as the largest annual carbon dioxide emitter several years ago. The US, now second, emitted 4.9 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023, an 11% reduction from a decade earlier, according to Global Carbon Project scientists.
However, due to carbon dioxide's atmospheric longevity, the US remains historically responsible for nearly 22 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions since 1950.
Trump's second term could severely impair future climate efforts
Experts worry that a second Trump term could severely impair future climate efforts, potentially influencing other nations, particularly China, to reduce their environmental commitments.
UN climate change executive secretary Simon Stiell remains hopeful about US participation in the global clean energy transition, warning that non-participation would benefit competitor economies while climate-related disasters intensify.
English (US) · 