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President Trump withdraws from Paris Agreement again despite climate crisis
22/1/2025
News
As expected, one of President Donald Trump’s first moves after his inauguration as President of the United States was to sign an executive order withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. The ‘prospective’ withdrawal from the landmark Paris Accord is seen to deal a significant blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warning.
Trump also gave formal notice of the exit in a letter to the United Nations (UN). Though there is a one-year notice period, Trump’s executive order clearly states: ‘The US would consider the withdrawal to take effect immediately.’
In addition, the White House announced a ‘national energy emergency’, outlining a raft of changes that will reverse US climate regulations and boost oil and gas production significantly.
In his inauguration address, Trump emphasised: ‘I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris Climate Accord rip-off.’ Furthermore, he said: ‘We will drill, baby, drill. We have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have, the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it.’
Later, in a typically long and colourful speech he said: ‘Cutting pollution doesn’t work unless everyone does it… The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity.’ Adding (baselessly) that ‘pulling out of the non-binding pact would save the US over a trillion dollars’.
After years of negotiations, the Paris Agreement was sealed in 2015, committing nearly every country worldwide (though admittedly ‘not binding’) to 'keep the rise in temperatures since pre-industrial times well below 2°C and ideally no higher than 1.5°C'. Nevertheless, this figure was exceeded recently, with last year the hottest year ever recorded.
Following Trump’s original withdrawal from the Paris Accord, Joe Biden rejoined in 2021. However, the new withdrawal will jettison Biden’s promise to cut US climate pollution by 66% within a decade. There are also serious concerns about the future of many renewable-related projects supported by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as another executive order reportedly halted funding appropriated through it.
Indeed, as the world’s second biggest carbon emissions emitter, the US will be one of the very few countries – along with Iran, Libya and Yemen – outside this crucial global climate agreement.
As an executive order, the ‘withdrawal’ carries the weight of law but can be overturned by subsequent presidents or a court of law. However, it will take up to one year for the withdrawal to be formalised by the UN.
Trump’s inaugural address also called for the ‘end of leasing to massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscape’. He also vowed to end the ‘green new deal’, which probably refers to the Biden administration’s support for renewable energy.
In addition, Trump pledged to release land in Alaska for drilling oil and gas, and ending of the freeze on LNG export permits.
Trump’s long-anticipated withdrawal from the Paris Accord has drawn a vast amount of criticism, as well as some support.
Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, said: ‘Embracing [clean energy] will mean massive profits, millions of manufacturing jobs and clean air. Ignoring it only sends all that vast wealth to competitor economies, while climate disasters like droughts, wildfires and superstorms keep getting worse, destroying property and businesses, hitting nationwide food production, and driving economy-wide price inflation. [However,] the door remains open to the Paris Agreement, and we welcome constructive engagement from any and all countries.’
Basav Sen, a Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, told The Guardian he believes the Paris Agreement is inadequate to limit global warming. Still, he felt that Trump exiting it is ‘reprehensible’ and said: ‘He and his administration do not care about cooperative global action to avert climate catastrophe, and want to recklessly expand fossil fuel production.’
According to Carbon Brief, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: ‘We are deeply disappointed that the United States federal government has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.’
Across the Atlantic, Europeans have also been vocal in their concerns about the new US President. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, said: ‘Today we are stepping up our cooperation on climate change with China… We are concerned that yesterday’s decision by the US to leave the Paris Agreement is a big mistake, bigger than not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.’
