States make climate pledge
Governors say they will adhere to Paris accord after Trump withdrawal
BOSTON — The governors of four New England states — including two Republicans — said Friday they would join a bipartisan coalition of U.S. states committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Their move came a day after Republican President Donald Trump announced he is withdrawing the United States from the agreement, a pact involving nearly 200 nations aimed at slowing the warming of the planet.
Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker said he decided to partner with other states to combat climate change after speaking with Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott and New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
He said Massachusetts will continue its commitment to exceed the emission reduction targets of the Paris compact. In 2008, Massachusetts lawmakers passed a law requiring the state to reduce its carbon emissions by at least 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.
“Our administration looks forward to continued, bipartisan collaboration with other states to protect the environment, grow the economy and deliver a brighter future to the next generation,” Baker said in a statement.
Earlier Friday, Baker — who did not support Trump during last year’s campaign and did not vote for him — said he did not think Trump’s decision to withdraw from the agreement was the right thing for the U.S. or the world.
Scott said Vermont is also joining the U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold the Paris climate agreement, which was started by the Democratic governors of California, New York and Washington. Scott called Vermont a leader in environmental policy and natural resource management and said Trump’s decision to withdraw from the agreement “only strengthens our commitment and makes the work of states more important.”
“If our national government isn’t willing to lead in this area, the states are prepared to step up,” Scott said.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, both Democrats, also are joining the alliance.
Malloy said Connecticut is “a national leader in combating climate change” and has no intention of slowing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Raimondo said Friday that Trump’s action will not deter Rhode Island from taking the steps needed to address climate change. “Republicans and Democrats alike recognize that the Paris Agreement is about so much more than climate change,” Raimondo said. “It’s about opportunity, stewardship and America’s standing as a global leader.”
Trump formally announced his decision to leave the historic international agreement on Thursday after promising to take the action during last year’s election campaign.
He criticized the pact as a job killer that was unfair to the U.S.
It may be years before the U.S. can exit the deal, but Trump said he’ll immediately halt implementation. He said he would consider re-entry if the U.S. could get a better deal. Republican politicians and representatives of the coal industry have cheered Trump’s action.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said Trump’s rejection of the agreement shows he is abandoning his responsibility to fight the biggest threat confronting the world.
Wynne said co-operation between subnational governments has become even more important after Trump’s announcement, and pledged to continue to work with other leaders, particularly U.S. governors, to combat climate change.
“It’s really appalling to me that the president of the United States would abdicate his responsibility in the face of the greatest threat confronting humanity,” Wynne said in Barrie, Ont.