Trump once again pulls out from the Paris climate agreement. Image: Hindustan Times
(The Post News)- On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement again. His decision deals a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming. Moreover, it once again distances the U.S. from its closest allies.
This happened hours after being sworn into his second term. This echoes his directive in 2017 when he announced that the U.S. would abandon the global Paris Accord. The pact aims at limiting long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Failing that, keeping temperatures at least well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
Trump signed a letter to the UN, initiating the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The US has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly by 2035 and beyond. The outgoing Biden administration proposed a plan to cut US emissions by over 60% within fourteen years. Countries worldwide face a February 2025 deadline to submit individual plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
Trump’s executive orders drew cheers from the fossil fuel industry. His decision also raised concerns among U.S. allies about the future of global climate initiatives. The US is the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, threatening global emissions-cutting efforts with its exit.
In 2015, nations pledged to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is above preindustrial levels. This limit is a crucial threshold for reducing the most catastrophic climate impacts. Scientists have recently confirmed that 2024 was the first year to surpass the threshold and the hottest year on record.
Trump declared a national energy emergency to boost US oil and gas production and reverse environmental regulations during Biden’s term. The US reached record oil production highs under the Biden administration, surpassing all previous records nationwide historically.
Trump also said he would revoke what he called the “electric vehicle mandate.” This is an Environmental Protection Agency rule that required auto manufacturers to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half in new light- and medium-duty vehicles as of 2027.
Trump is expected to roll back Biden-era climate efforts, including emissions limits and offshore drilling bans nationwide. Trump also vowed to “unleash American energy” and end Biden’s policies of climate extremism.
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