A blow to climate change policy
Trump’s quitting the Paris deal reinforces his populist politics
By announcing the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris agreement on climate change, President Donald Trump has dramatically underlined that his brand of populist politics is not merely the stuff of stand-up comedians but a source of globally dangerous policy. The US will take three years to fully pull out of the treaty, but Washington’s actions could lead to other countries following suit. Unlike many international treaties, Paris consists of a large bundle of voluntary actions rather than binding commitments. So far, there is no evidence of a bandwagon effect with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with China and the Group of Seven governments all publicly renewing their commitment to the Paris agreement. At some point, this global response to Mr Trump may require other countries to even consider compensating for the additional carbon emissions that the US may release.
The absurdity of Mr Trump’s decision is all the more evident given the economic status of fossil fuels and clean energy in the US. The renewable energy sector is among the fastest growing job creators in the US. Solar power alone employs 370,000 people versus the combined coal power and mining sectors which employ 130,000. And there is little that can save the ranks of coal miners if only because what they do is being increasingly automated. There isn’t even much rightwing support for the US president’s anti-green policies. Polls show that even among Mr Trump’s supporters nearly three-quarters believe their country should have more renewable energy. It is almost a matter of irrelevance that he also falsely claimed India was asking for billions of dollars in aid in return for conforming to Paris when, in fact, all such assistance is being allocated to least developed countries and some island states.
India should up its diplomatic and policy game in response. Part of this strategy can be to work with Japan, Europe or even new strategic partners like the United Arab Emirates on accelerating India’s own transition to renewable energy at an even more aggressive pace than today. It also needs to give more thought to making the International Solar Alliance more tangible. New Delhi’s stance has traditionally been to be a responsible climate player by focusing on its own domestic energy transition. Its accomplishments on that front are praiseworthy. But the US action means it should contemplate a more global role.