Signed in 2016, the Paris Agreement was an agreement within the United Nations to address climate change. Its aim was to collectively control the increasing global temperature and overall create a strong and productive response to the threat of climate change. In addition, the Paris Agreement claimed to provide protection to developing nations that could potentially suffer from the economic costs of lowering emissions. With the intention to meet every five years, it committed its signatories to remain reliable for the goals set. The overall intention is to keep climate change below 2 degrees celsius but allow nations to individually decide what efforts were needed in their own country to achieve the international objective, which allowed flexibility. With ambitious plans on a treacherous battle against greenhouse gases, is it likely that the Paris Agreement will prove successful and achieve victory?
Despite the efforts to create a solution, on June 1st, 2017, President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of agreement. Yet it wasn’t a surprise, given he had mentions of his unapproval during his presidential campaign, it was still a disappointment to other nations. Trump’s reasons for backing out of the agreement was in the interest of the American economy and the working American class, with claims that the terms are unfair “to the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers” (Trump) and that it is an economic burden to the country.
Trump’s claims were supported by many other Republicans and although many agree that there are many economic downfalls, these claims also went against previous ideologies from the United States under President Barack Obama’s term in office, as he was in office at the time of the signing of the Paris Agreement.
With the United States dropping out of the agreement, it seems highly likely that other countries that think that they could potentially suffer from the agreement will drop out. Again, the United States is one of the largest contributors to climate change and their involvement in this agreement was very important.
One thing to consider though is how Trump’s time in office is only temporary and that the United States is not yet formally out of the Paris Agreement yet. Despite Bernie Sanders’ ended campaign, both him and Vice President, Joe Biden, stated their intentions to rejoin the agreement if elected in office. It is unsure where the campaign is going and nothing is for sure but it is important to consider the environmental impact that this campaign could have worldwide when voting. This is more than the United States that this is effecting. The American withdrawal can take away so many of the efforts made and makes the rest of the world have a more difficult time.