Trump Withdraws US From Paris Agreement in Second Term
President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement. Like his withdrawal from the agreement in June 2017 during his first term, he argued that the agreement was an economic burden on American businesses and taxpayers.
The initial withdrawal process started in 2019, but former President Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement in 2021 halting it.
“I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off,” Trump said. “The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity.”
While the withdrawal was expected, environmental organizations and climate activists criticized the move and other countries are steadfast on moving forward with climate action under the Paris Agreement without the U.S.
“This moment should serve as a wake-up call to reform the system, ensuring that those most affected—communities and individuals on the front lines—are at the center of our collective governance,” Laurence Tubiana, CEO at European Climate Foundation and participant in outlining the Paris Agreement, said.
The Paris Agreement’s target to keep global warming below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels “is critical to avoiding catastrophic damages from climate change, but the world is not currently on track to meet this target,” EcoWatch reported. Climate scientists said the target is “deader than a doornail” after a 2023 study confirmed that the world was above a global average of 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times between February 2023 to January 2024.
“Clean energy is creating jobs, cutting consumer costs, and improving health in red states and blue,” Manish Bapna, president and CEO of Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said. “It’s strengthening the supply chain for the building blocks of a modern economy, making U.S. companies more competitive and the country more energy secure. Targeting those gains on Day 1 is part of a raft of fossil fuel handouts meant to stall the shift to clean energy.”
Ashley Curtin is an editor, social media content manager and writer at NationofChange. Before joining NoC, she was a features reporter at The Daily Breeze – a local newspaper in Southern California – writing a variety of stories on current topics including politics, the economy, human rights, the environment and the arts.
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