Andrew Whited
In just the first couple of days into his second term in office, President Donald Trump was hard at work signing executive orders for a number of issues. One of those orders began with the process of removing the United States from the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement (aka the Paris Climate Accord) is a legally binding international
pact that was introduced in December of 2015 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (or COP21) in Paris, France. Almost every country, with the exception of Iran, Libya, and Yemen, has adopted the treaty. The main goal is to limit global warming below 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with the intention of eventually limiting the temperature increase to 1.5. Degree Celsius. This target conforms with the consensus of scientific experts that margins are key to avoid catastrophic climate repercussions such as rising sea levels, frequent and severe heat waves, droughts, and extreme weather like hurricanes and tsunamis.
Under the agreement, those countries participating must set their own emission reduction
targets. These targets are known as Nationally Determined Contributions (or NDCs) and each nation involved is responsible for reviewing and enhancing these targets every five years. There are no legal ramifications or penalties brought to any country should they not comply. The only consequences are being reviewed by their peers and scrutiny brought on the press and the public. While the Paris Agreement illustrates a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it additionally underlines the importance of financial and technical support for developing countries that are more at risk to the impacts of climate change.
This is not the first time Mr.Trump has pulled out of the Paris Agreement. He initially
removed the United States from the agreement during his first term back in 2017. It was part of his plan to undo several policies former president Barack Obama had put in place. There are several factors influencing Mr.Trump’s decision, the primary one being his belief that the accord presents an unfair economic burden to our country. This belief guides his criticism of multilateral agreements, which he views as a threat to U.S. sovereignty. President Trump contends that the Paris Agreement would permit countries, such as China or India, to gain advantages economically while the U.S. would bear an unbalanced share of responsibility in reducing global emissions. Mr. Trump has also argued that the agreement would infringe on American businesses, particularly coal, oil, and manufacturing industries, by enforcing what he considered to be stringent emissions reductions targets. The decision, he claimed, was formulated as a way to protect American jobs and raise economic growth, especially in regions that rely heavily on fossil fuels. Perhaps the biggest factor was that Trump’s administration all but rejected the scientific consensus that climate change is possible and that global warming exists. Trump has openly stated on numerous occasions that he considers it a “hoax”. Additionally, many of his appointees have either questioned or simply cast doubt on human-driven causes.
What does Trump breaking from the Paris Agreement mean and why does it matter?
Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement signals a retreat from international climate leadership, which could potentially weaken global momentum on climate action. The U.S.’s failure to meet climate standards weakens global efforts to prevent disastrous climate change. The U.S. absence from the agreement will most likely again cause an uneven shift in responsibility for reducing emissions to other countries, further delaying action, leading to extensive environmental damage. Previously, when Trump backed out of the agreement, several states, cities, and businesses through governors, mayors, and business leaders, decided to pledge continuing efforts towards reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement in a movement called “We Are Still In." The current removal could also find the U.S. in rocky international relations with other nations. Several countries in Europe raised concerns about the U.S. leaving the agreement the first time, viewing it as a step backward in combating climate change.
Secondly, leaving will also once again spark debate over the future of multilateral
cooperation. Climate change is a global issue that must be dealt with collectively and the U.S. pullout emphasizes a divide between nations that view climate change as an urgent situation and others that see it as secondary compared to economic concerns. Taking a fragmented approach to addressing climate change risks failure of global targets and results in worsening environmental crises all over the world.
And third, the move will most likely cause more tension between economic development
and environmental sustainability. Mr. Trump may have framed his policy as a way of protecting the United States, but it ignores broader economic opportunities that have been created from renewable energy transitions. Solar, wind, and electric vehicles were a few of the sectors that were expected to see significant growth as part of a global shift toward cleaner energy. Now that Mr. Trump has removed the U.S. from the agreement, there is less incentive to continue these developments , resulting in the risk of falling behind in these industries while other nations embrace going green economically.
So what will happen? Will the United States return to the Paris Agreement? Can Mr. Trump be persuaded to rejoin…again? For now, we know that the United State’s climate policies are not aligned with global consensus. As far as when we will re-align, that depends on us, electing ultimate conscious officials and doing our part independently to preserve the environment.
Citations
1. Popli, N. (2025, January 22). What happened the last time Trump left the Paris agreement. Time. https://time.com/7208955/trump-paris-climate-agreement-withdraw-impact/
Poynting, E. S. and M. (2025, January 21). What is the Paris Climate Agreement and why has Trump withdrawn?. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35073297
Schonhardt, S. (2024, November 10). Why Trump’s 2nd Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will be different.politico.com. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/10/trump-withdrawal-paris-agreement-different-00188002
Washington Post. (n.d.). Why Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is so controversial . YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDvz9PFmyqg