On Monday, President Trump issued an executive order to remove the US from the Paris Agreement, which is an agreement made by nearly all countries to combat climate change.
By pulling out, the US will join Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only four states that have not ratified the pact, which calls for cooperation among nations to limit global warming below levels that might cause environmental disaster.
The action represents yet another reversal in US involvement in international climate talks and is one of many energy-related pronouncements made in the hours after his inauguration. After reclaiming the presidency in 2020, President Biden promptly re-entered the Paris Accord, which Mr. Trump had withdrawn from during his first term.
Democratic lawmakers, activists, and scientists criticized the action, saying it will worsen the climate problem and hurt American jobs. In conjunction with his other energy-related actions on Monday, Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw from the agreement demonstrates his administration’s resolve to increase the exploitation and production of fossil fuels and to shift away from sustainable energy technology like electric cars and wind farms.
Gina McCarthy, a former White House climate advisor, stated, “If they want to be tough on China, don’t punish U.S. automakers and hard-working Americans by handing our clean-car keys to the Chinese.” “If we wish to have any influence over the trillions of dollars in financial investments, policies, and decisions, the United States must continue to demonstrate leadership on the global stage.”
Additionally, on Monday, Mr. Trump signed a letter informing the international body of the withdrawal to the United Nations, which oversees the accord. After the letter is submitted, the withdrawal will be formally effective one year later.
In 2024, U.S. efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions were already slowing, and it is becoming less probable that the country would fulfill its bold promises to cut them even more since Mr. Trump took office. According to figures released this month by the research company Rhodium Group, emissions decreased by only 0.2 percent last year compared to the previous year.
Emissions levels remained largely unchanged last year due to a nationwide spike in electricity demand, which increased the amount of natural gas burned by power plants. This was in spite of the continued rapid growth in solar and wind power, which was fueled by the Inflation Reduction Act, the signature climate legislation of the previous administration.
The United States is even more behind schedule in meeting Mr. Biden’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 61 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, which was announced last month under the auspices of the Paris Agreement, because emissions didn’t decrease all that much. According to scientists, in order to maintain relatively modest levels of global warming this decade, all major economies would need to drastically reduce their emissions.
According to the Rhodium Group, even if Mr. Trump reversed the majority of Mr. Biden’s climate measures, U.S. emissions may only decrease by 24 to 40 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
The Union of Concerned Scientists released a statement saying, “President Trump is choosing to start his term catering to the fossil fuel industry and its allies.” “His shameful and damaging choice is a foreboding indication of what Americans can anticipate from him and his anti-science cabinet.”
Emissions in the United States have decreased by almost 20% since 2005, which is a notable decrease during a period of economic expansion. However, U.S. emissions would need to decrease about ten times as quickly annually as they have in the past in order to reach its climate targets.
y will point to him and his fossil fuel friends with no pardon.”
