U.S. withdraws from climate pact
Trump says pullback reasserts sovereignty, original deal harmful
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Thursday he was pulling the U.S. from the landmark Paris climate agreement, striking a major blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and distancing the country from its closest allies abroad. Framing his decision as “a reassertion of America’s sovereignty,” Mr. Trump said he was “elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”
He said the U.S. could try to re-enter the deal under more favorable terms or work to establish “an entirely new transaction.” But he indicated that was hardly a priority. “If we can, great. If we can’t, that’s fine,” he said.
Scientists say Earth is likely to reach more dangerous levels of warming sooner as a result of the president’s decision because America’s pollution contributes so much to rising temperatures. Calculations suggest withdrawal could result in emissions of up to 3 billion tons of additional carbon dioxide a year — enough to melt ice sheets faster, raise seas higher and trigger more extreme weather.
By abandoning the world’s chief effort to slow the tide of planetary warming, Mr. Trump — who has claimed global warming is a hoax — was fulfilling a top campaign pledge after weeks of building up suspense over his decision.
The Paris climate accord “would undermine our economy, hamstring our workers” and also “effectively decapitate our coal industry, which now supplies about one-third of our electric power,” the president said Thursday, even though the U.S. coal industry was in decline long before the Paris accord was signed in 2015, primarily due to competition from cleaner-burning natural gas.
The pressure on Mr. Trump to remain in the Paris climate accord came from all sides. But in the end, it was not enough. Mr. Trump’s final, deliberative verdict was the same as his initial, gut-level one, more than a dozen administration officials, Trump confidants, Republican operatives and European diplomats said Thursday.
The White House indicated it would follow the lengthy exit process outlined in the deal. That means the U.S. would remain in the agreement, at least formally, for another three-and-a-half years, ensuring the issue remains alive in the next presidential election.
However, Mr. Trump declared, emphasizing every word: “As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the nonbinding Paris accord.”
Mr. Trump is breaking from many of America’s staunchest allies, who have expressed alarm about the decision. Several of his top aides also opposed the action, including his daughter Ivanka Trump.
Despite Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw from the international pact, three Democratic governors said Thursday they won’t let the United States back away from the Paris commitment to reduce greenhousegas emissions.
California Gov. Jerry Brown joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state to form the U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold the Paris climate agreement.
The three states where renewable energy has been aggressively embraced account for a fifth of the U.S. economy.
California, New York and
Washington already belong to an emissions reduction pact of states and cities worldwide, but Thursday’s action marked a direct stand against the Trump administration and a formal commitment to upholding the targets of the Paris agreement.
Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe also expressed interest in joining the new pact.
Also, Elon Musk, the head of Tesla, announced that he was withdrawing from a White House advisory council on manufacturing.
Under former President Barack Obama, the U.S. had agreed under the accord to reduce polluting emissions by more than a quarter below 2005 levels by 2025. But the national targets are voluntary, leaving room for the U.S. and the nearly 200 other countries in the agreement to alter their commitments.
The leaders of France, Germany and Italy jointly noted “with regret” the Trump decision and express doubts that the “irreversible” accord can be renegotiated.
In a rare statement on his successor’s policies, Mr. Obama said: “… I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we’vegot.”
Many economists believe the Paris accord would help create about as many jobs in renewable energy as it might costin polluting industries.
The president, however, argued the agreement had disadvantaged the U.S. “to the exclusive benefit of other countries,” leaving American businesses and taxpayers to absorbthe cost.
The immediate impact of Mr. Trump’s move could be largely symbolic. The White House said the U.S. will stop contributing to the United NationsGreen Climate Fund and will stop reporting carbon data as required by the Paris accord, although domestic regulations require that reporting anyway. The decision has no direct impact on major U.S. regulations on power plants and car rules currently aimed at reducing carbon emissions, although those are currently under review by Mr.Trump as well.
Mr. Trump spoke from the White House Rose Garden on a warm, sunny day. Seated in the front row were aides who had advocated for the withdrawal, including EPA administrator Scott Pruitt and chiefstrategist Steve Bannon.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who had urged Mr. Trump to stay in the Paris deal, did not attend the ceremony, nor did Mr. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his wife, Ms. Trump, both close advisers to the president who supported staying in the agreement.