Today (June 1) President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. While this step fulfills his campaign promises, it also seriously dampen global efforts to curb global warming.
The decision marks a global failure to convince Trump to stay the part of the agreement, which 195 countries signed onto. Foreign leaders, business executives and even Trump’s own daughter, Ivanka Trump, lobbied heavily for him to remain a part of the deal, but ultimately lost out to conservatives who claim the plan is bad for the United States.
President Donald Trump said during an address from the White House Rose Garden:
In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord but being negotiations to reenter either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction under terms that are fair to the United States. […] We’re getting out. And we will start to renegotiate and we’ll see if there’s a better deal. If we can, great. If we can’t, that’s fine.
In triggering the official withdrawal procedures, Trump will spark a lengthy process that won’t conclude until November 2020 – the same month he’s up for reelection, ensuring the issue becomes a major topic of debate in the next presidential contest.
