US to withdraw from Paris climate accord: Trump

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump has formally announced that the US would withdraw from the Paris climate accord next year.

The United States presented its withdrawal letter to the United Nations on the first possible date under the accord negotiated by Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama.

Donald Trump went ahead with the pullout despite mounting evidence of the reality and impact of climate change, with September the fourth month in the row with record-breaking temperatures.

Also read: US House formalises Trump impeachment process

It will be officially out of the Paris accord on 4th November 2020. Announcing the move, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated Trump’s rationale in 2017 that the accord would disadvantage US businesses.

Pompeo said in a statement, “It was America that would suffer the straitjacket.It would be quintessentially unfair to the American people and to the American workers.”

Today we begin the formal process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. The U.S. is proud of our record as a world leader in reducing all emissions, fostering resilience, growing our economy, and ensuring energy for our citizens. Ours is a realistic and pragmatic model.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 4, 2019

He added that the US would advocate a realistic and pragmatic model that included renewal energy but preserved a role for fossil fuels.

The United States, the number-two emitter, is still planning to attend this month’s COP climate negotiations in Spain.

Also read: China, US hold constructive call on trade mini-deal

Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry and agriculture on the atmosphere. The Paris accord is meant to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions.

The Paris agreement commits 188 countries to keep rising global temperatures below 2C above pre-industrial levels and attempting to limit them even more, to a 1.5C rise.