President of the United States Donald Trump will once again withdraw the United States from Paris climate agreementthe White House said Monday, excluding the world’s largest historic emitter from global efforts to combat climate change for the second time in a decade.
The move would place the United States, alongside Iran, Libya and Yemen, as the only countries in the world outside the 2015 deal, in which governments agreed to limit global warming to 1 .5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. .
The announcement, contained in a White House document, reflects Trump’s skepticism about global warming, which he has called a hoax, and is part of his broader agenda to free oil drillers and American gas producers of regulations so that they can maximize their production.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is confident that American cities, states and businesses “will continue to demonstrate vision and leadership in working toward resilient, low-carbon economic growth that creates quality jobs.” , declared UN deputy spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino. in a written statement.
“It is crucial that the United States remains a leader on environmental issues,” she said. “Collective efforts under the Paris Agreement have made a difference, but we must go much further and faster together. »
The United States is already the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas thanks to a years-long drilling boom in Texas, New Mexico and elsewhere, fueled by hydraulic fracturing technology and strong prices. world since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump also withdrew the United States from the Paris agreement during his first term, although the process took years and was immediately reversed by the Biden presidency in 2021. This time around, the withdrawal will likely take less time – barely a year –. because Trump will not be bound by the deal’s initial three-year commitment.
Get the latest national news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up to receive breaking news alerts sent directly to you as they happen.
This period could also be more damaging to global climate efforts, said Paul Watkinson, a former climate negotiator and senior policy adviser to France.
The United States is currently the world’s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China and its departure undermines global ambition to reduce these emissions.
“It will be more difficult this time because we are in the thick of implementation, facing real choices,” Watkinson said.
The world is now on course to reach global warming of more than 3°C by the end of the century, according to a recent United Nations report, a level that scientists say would trigger cascading impacts such as sea level rise, heat waves and devastating storms.
Nations are already struggling to significantly reduce the emissions needed to curb projected temperature rises, as wars, political tensions and tight government budgets push climate change to the bottom of the priority list.
Trump’s approach stands in stark contrast to that of former President Joe Biden, who wanted the United States to lead global climate efforts and sought to encourage a transition away from oil and gas using subsidies and regulations.
Trump said he intended to eliminate these subsidies and regulations to shore up the national budget and grow the economy, but said he could do so while ensuring clean air and water in the United States.
Li Shuo, an expert on climate diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the U.S. withdrawal risks harming the United States’ ability to compete with China in clean energy markets such as solar and electric vehicles.
“China has every chance of winning, and the United States risks falling further behind,” he said.