Syllabus: GS2/ Foreign Affairs, GS3/Environment and Conservation
Context
- US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement again — having first done so in 2017.
About
- On his first day in office, Trump also ordered an immediate revocation of all climate finance commitments made by the US.
- He has promised to reverse some of the climate-friendly energy policies of the last few years, and reiterated his commitment to extracting more oil and gas to meet America’s energy requirements.
- Background:
- Trump’s predecessor (and successor) Joe Biden had taken the US back into the Paris Agreement in 2021.
- The US had not become a party to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol as well, having refused to ratify it after signing on to it.
- Reasons for the Trump’s Policy:
- He opined that the international regulations on climate change have been unfair to the US because similar restrictions are not placed on China, on account of it being classified as a developing country.
| Paris Agreement – It is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted in 2015, at the COP21 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). – It aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. – The Paris Agreement emphasizes nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and encourages all countries to take climate action. 1. Countries must review and update their NDCs every five years to enhance their efforts and increase ambition over time. – Article 28 of the Paris Agreement lays out the procedure and timeline for a country’s withdrawal from the treaty. 1. Any time after three years from the date on which this Agreement has entered into force for a Party, that Party may withdraw from this Agreement by giving written notification. |
Implications
- Emission Targets: US has set the target to reduce 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 goal — and four years of Trump will make it almost certain that these are not achieved.
- Second Largest Emittor: The US is the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The objective of the Paris Agreement cannot be achieved without its full participation in the common effort to reduce emissions.
- Increase in Fossil fuel Production: Trump has been explicit about drilling new oil wells and gas fields this time, as a result fossil fuel production could rise in the next four years.
- Funding of Climate Finance: It will further squeeze in funds available for climate action for the developing countries.
- The US has the greatest influence on mobilising private and international finance, Trump’s policies could see this source drying up as well.
- Impact on other countries: Experts fear other countries, especially China, could use it as an excuse to ease off their own efforts to curb carbon emissions.
Conclusion
- Global Warming: The world is now long-term 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 degrees Celsius) above mid-1800s temperatures.
- Global temperatures last year passed the warming mark of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was the warmest year on record.
- US Share in Global Warming: According to the Global Carbon Project, the U.S. is responsible for nearly 22% of the carbon dioxide put in the atmosphere since 1950.
- The US has the largest share of historical emissions, and therefore also the greatest responsibility to clean up.
- The wildfires in Los Angeles are the latest reminder that Americans, like everyone else, are affected by worsening climate change.
- America could stay focused on growing the clean energy industry and technologies for driving down energy costs.
Source: IE
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