Decline of fossil fuels in motion
Opting out of Paris accord won’t end nation’s efforts on emissions
President Trump’s decision to back out of the Paris climate accord is a blow to environmental activists, but the nation’s steady, years- long reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming won’t sud- denly stop.
Utility companies have announced plans to fully or partially close more than a half- dozen coal- fired power plants since Trump took office fewer than five months ago, taking some of the nation’s largest greenhouse gas emitters offline.
And Wall Street fund managers and large businesses are moving away from fossil fuels due to market conditions, further contributing to increased use of cleaner energy sources. Since 2010, more than 250 coal- fired power plants have closed in the U. S. On Wednesday, Exxon Mobil shareholders voted — against the board’s recommendation — to require that the company publicly report on the risks to its business posed by climate change.
“The United States is making progress,” said John Coequyt, global climate policy director for the Sierra Club. “We’re moving forward. We believe the rest of the world will do the same.”
Trump has already taken unilateral steps to roll back regulations that were designed to implement the Paris agreement, including reversing President Obama’s Clean Power Plan rule that sought to lower greenhouse emissions. Trump campaigned on a promise to withdraw the U. S. from the accord, saying it would lead to higher energy prices and hurt domestic businesses trying to compete globally.
“The Paris Accord would undermine
our economy, hamstring our workers, weaken our sovereignty, impose unacceptable legal risk and put us at a permanent disadvantage to the other counties of the world,” Trump said in announcing his decision.
The international agreement, which was signed in 2015 and went into effect seven months ago, is considered a major part of the environmental legacy of the Obama administration.
Michael A. Needham, chief executive officer of the conservative Heritage Action for America, applauded the president’s move. “Withdrawal from the agreement marks a critical step in unrav- eling former president Obama’s destructive legacy,” Needham said.
Under current policy, the U. S. is still set to come “within striking distance” of meeting its 2020 goal under a prior U. N. climate change accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17% below 2005 levels, according to a report by energy analysts the Rhodium Group. But the analysis said withdrawing from the accord makes it very unlikely the U. S. will meet the 26% to 28% target set out un- der the Paris deal.
The exit will allow states such as California and New York to play a leading role in meeting climate change targets. California, for example, has stood out with its toughest- in- the- nation vehicle emissions laws that often effectively establish auto industry standards nationwide. California Gov. Jerry Brown said he hopes Trump’s “insane move” to back out of the Paris accord will spur others to action.