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Context:

US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement again — having first done so in 2017.

Details

• On his first day in office, Trump also ordered the immediate withdrawal of all US climate finance He promised to reverse some of the climate-friendly energy policies of the past few years and reiterated his commitment to extracting more oil and gas to meet America's energy needs.
• Background: Trump's predecessor (and successor) Joe Biden took the US back into the Paris Agreement in 2021. The US also did not become a party to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol by refusing to ratify it after acceding to it.
• Reasons for Trump's policy: He believed that international climate change regulations were unfair to the US because similar restrictions were not imposed on China because it was classified as a developing country.

Consequences

• Emissions targets: The US has set a target of reducing its emissions by 50-52% by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and by 62-66% by 2035.
  • • As of now, the US is not on track to meet its 2030 emissions target – and four years of a Trump administration will ensure it will not be met.
• The second largest producer of emissions: The US is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world.
  • • The goals of the Paris Agreement cannot be achieved without its full participation in joint efforts to reduce emissions.
• Increasing fossil fuel production: Trump was explicit this time about drilling new oil wells and gas fields, which could increase fossil fuel production over the next four years.
• Climate finance funding: This will further squeeze the funding available for climate action for developing countries.
  • • The US has the greatest influence in mobilizing private and international finance, and Trump's policies could see this source dry up as well.
• Impact on other countries: Experts fear that other countries, especially China, could use this as an excuse to relax their efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

About Paris Agreement

Way forward

• The world is now 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 degrees Celsius) above mid-1800s temperatures. Global temperatures surpassed the 2.7-degree Fahrenheit warming mark last year, making it the warmest year on record.
• According to the Global Carbon Project, the US is responsible for nearly 22% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere since 1950. The US has the largest share of historical emissions and therefore the largest cleanup responsibility.
• The fires in Los Angeles are the latest reminder that Americans, like everyone else, are affected by worsening climate change. America could continue to focus on the growth of clean energy and technology sectors to reduce energy costs.

Source:

Indian Express