President Trump’s move to leave Paris treaty undermines worldwide attempts to restrict emissions, experts warn
US President Donald Trump announced on Jan 20 that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time, a move experts warn will undermine global climate efforts, harm the US’ international reputation and result in lost economic opportunities for the country.
After taking oath of office, Trump signed an executive order to pull the US out of the Paris climate accords. The order stated, “It is the policy of my administration to put the interests of the United States and the American people first.” The formal exit will occur in one year, as per the accord’s rules.
This announcement, anticipated since Trump’s election, significantly threatens the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, especially since last year was the hottest on record.
Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said, “As the world’s largest economy and top historical emitter, the US has a major responsibility in tackling global climate change. By exiting the Paris Agreement again, it shirks these duties.”
In June 2017, then-President Trump announced that the US would leave the Paris Agreement. The withdrawal became official on Nov 4, 2020, drawing widespread criticism.
Liu Yuanling, an assistant researcher at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, criticized Trump’s decision as driven by nationalism and anti-science views. “It dealt a major blow to global climate governance and ambition,” she said.
Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, noted that compared to the first withdrawal, this time the US’ exit comes at a critical moment when global climate efforts are already slowing. “This sudden policy shift will likely worsen the challenges to global climate progress in the coming years,” Li said.
Besides pulling out of the Paris Agreement, Trump also issued orders to revoke previous support for electric vehicles and introduced a comprehensive plan to boost oil and gas production, including declaring a national energy emergency to expedite permitting and rolling back environmental regulations.
Ma said these moves are not forward-looking. “Trump’s plan aims to lower current oil prices and support traditional industries. However, the global trend is toward a green and low-carbon future. Unlike eight years ago, people now can see the opportunities in green transitions, which have already spurred economic growth in many regions,” he said.
Despite the withdrawal, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remains confident that US cities, states, and businesses “will continue to demonstrate vision and leadership by working for the low-carbon, resilient economic growth that will create quality jobs”, associate UN spokeswoman Florencia Soto Nino said in a statement.
“If the US withdraws at the federal level, climate cooperation at the local level becomes particularly crucial. This was evident the last time the US exited the Paris Agreement, and it remains true now,” said Ma.
Following the US move, experts agree that China and the European Union will need to step up in advancing global climate governance.
“At COP29 (climate summit), China and the EU showcased effective cooperation. The EU must continue and expand its leadership role, while China also (needs) to play a bigger role. This involves both collaborative efforts between China and the EU and strengthened cooperation between China and the Global South to tackle climate change and promote green transitions,” said Ma.
China will stay committed to actively responding to climate change, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Jan 21 after news of the US pullout from the Paris deal.
“Climate change is a common challenge for all humanity, and no country will be able to stay unaffected,” Guo said, adding that China will work with all parties to promote green transition.
Global environmental NGO 350.org Japan on Jan 21 said Trump’s decision to start withdrawing from the Paris Agreement was “utterly unacceptable”.
“The United States, given its historical emissions and its status as one of the wealthiest nations in the world, bears a significant responsibility in addressing the climate crisis. Turning its back on climate science and its obligations to find solutions is unacceptable,” a statement of the NGO said.
350.org Japan further criticized Trump for abandoning the US’s commitment to the climate finance goals agreed at COP29 and for raising concerns about the regression of federal-level environmental policies.
Despite this, the NGO stressed that global efforts under the Paris Agreement to transition away from fossil fuels remain resilient.
On Jan 20, Trump also signed an executive order that will see the US withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO). The text of the executive order, released by the White House, indicates that this is Trump’s second attempt to exit.
Guo said China will continue to support the WHO in performing its duties. The role of the WHO should be strengthened, instead of weakened, he said.
Wang Qingyun and Jiang Xueqing in Tokyo contributed to this story.
