WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump will order the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, the White House said on Monday, once again placing the world’s top historic emitter of greenhouse gas emissions outside of the global pact aimed at pushing nations to tackle climate change through domestic actions.
The announcement, which has been widely expected ever since Trump won the Nov. 5 presidential election, drew criticism from other Paris signatories and environmental groups as well as statements of continued support by states, cities and other countries for the goals of the agreement.
The eventual U.S. departure further threatens the central goal of the agreement to avoid a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius, a target that appears even more tenuous as last year was the planet’s hottest on record.
Here are some reactions to the announcement of the second U.S. withdrawal from the climate pact:
SIMON STIELL, U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
“Embracing (the global clean energy boom) will mean massive profits, millions of manufacturing jobs and clean air. Ignoring it only sends all that vast wealth to competitor economies, while climate disasters like droughts, wildfires and superstorms keep getting worse, destroying property and businesses, hitting nation-wide food production, and driving economy-wide price inflation. The door remains open to the Paris Agreement, and we welcome constructive engagement from any and all countries.”
ALI MOHAMED, CHAIR OF THE AFRICA GROUP OF NEGOTIATORS AND KENYA’S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
“The leadership of the United States is critical in mobilizing climate finance, advancing clean energy transitions, and ensuring the equitable implementation of global climate goals. Equally important is the need to promote multilateralism as the foundation for addressing climate change and other global challenges. The African Group underscores its belief that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other international platforms remain the most effective avenues for fostering collaboration and accountability.”
NEW YORK GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL AND NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, CO-CHAIRS OF THE U.S. CLIMATE ALLIANCE
“Our states and territories continue to have broad authority under the U.S. Constitution to protect our progress and advance the climate solutions we need. This does not change with a shift in federal administration … It’s critical for the international community to know that climate action will continue in the U.S. Climate Alliance will bring this message to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil (COP30) later this year.”
ANI DASGUPTA, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
“It simply makes no sense for the United States to voluntarily give up political influence and pass up opportunities to shape the exploding green energy market. Sitting on the sidelines also means the United States will have fewer levers to hold other major economies accountable for living up to their commitments.
LAURENCE TUBIANA, CEO OF THE EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION AND A KEY ARCHITECT OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT
“The context today is very different to 2017. There is unstoppable economic momentum behind the global transition, which the U.S. has gained from and led, but now risks forfeiting.”
ABBY MAXMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF OXFAM AMERICA
“The U.S. should be leading the fight for a livable planet – not only because of its responsibility as the largest historical polluter, but because ignoring the problem at our doorstep will harm people living in the United States, who have recently suffered severe damage from climate-driven disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires and will face even more in the years ahead.”
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Paul Simao)
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