On June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. The decision sparked outrage from other countries and environmental advocates, who argued that the move would have disastrous consequences for the planet.
The Paris Agreement, which was signed by 195 countries in 2015, aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Each country sets its own emissions targets, which are reviewed and updated every five years. The United States had pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025.
Trump`s decision to withdraw from the agreement was based on his belief that it would harm the United States economy and cost American jobs. He argued that the emissions targets were too onerous and that other countries, particularly China and India, would not be held to the same standards.
Critics of the move pointed out that the Paris Agreement was voluntary and non-binding, and that the United States could have simply revised its emissions targets if it felt they were too high. They also noted that the decision to withdraw from the agreement would damage America`s reputation on the global stage and hurt its ability to lead on environmental issues.
Since the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement, many states, cities, and businesses have taken it upon themselves to continue to pursue emissions reductions. The “We Are Still In” coalition, which includes more than 3,500 cities, states, businesses, and universities, has pledged to uphold the goals of the agreement and work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite these efforts, the United States remains one of the largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, and its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is seen by many as a major setback in the fight against climate change. As the world continues to grapple with the consequences of global warming, the United States` decision to pull out of the agreement will likely be seen as a significant missed opportunity to take action on this critical issue.
