Trump quits climate deal
On 1 June, the US president, Donald Trump, made an announcement that sparked anger and disappointment around the world. He said he would withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, which is an international deal to protect the world from the devastating effects of climate change.
What is climate change?
When we burn fuels such as coal, oil and gas to power our cars, homes and factories, gases are released into the Earth’s atmosphere. These gases, known as greenhouse gases, trap the Sun’s energy, forcing the planet’s temperature to rise. This can result in extreme weather such as heatwaves and rising sea levels, and can lead to the loss of coral reefs.
What is the Paris Agreement?
In 2015, almost 200 countries, including the US, agreed to limit greenhouse-gas emissions. It was a historic achievement, partly because it took more than two decades for all the countries to agree on a course of action. The aim of the deal is to keep the overall increase in global temperatures below 2°C. Billions of pounds will be given to poorer countries to help them limit or reduce emissions, and to fight the effects of climate change.
Why did Trump decide to reject the deal?
Trump thinks the Paris climate-change agreement is bad for the US and would cost the country too much money. He also said he took the decision in order to protect US jobs; lots of Americans work in the coal and oil industries. Trump says he wants to renegotiate the deal, but Europe’s leaders say that’s not possible, and say the deal must not be changed.
What has the reaction been?
The prime minister of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the leader of Germany, Angela Merkel, have condemned Trump’s decision. Former US president Barack Obama accused Trump of “rejecting the future”. The UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, has expressed her disappointment. However, several senior US politicians and the US’s coal industry have welcomed Trump’s decision.
What does this mean for the planet?
One group of experts say that now the US has left the agreement, the country could warm the world by an additional 0.3°C by 2100. That’s bad news, but there are reasons to be positive. For a start, the rest of the world’s nations still want to combat climate change. Importantly, that includes China, which is the world’s biggest polluter. Other countries, such as Germany, say they’ll work even harder to make the deal a success. Several US states, cities and companies say they will ignore Trump, and continue to work to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.