Is the US Part of the Paris Climate Agreement Now?
The Paris Climate Agreement, signed in 2015, is a landmark international agreement on climate change. It aims to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with a target of limiting the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The agreement requires all countries to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The United States, under former President Donald Trump, announced its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in 2017. Trump argued that the agreement would hurt American jobs and unfairly burden American businesses. The withdrawal process was not immediate, however, and the United States remained a party to the agreement until November 4, 2020.
On that day, the official withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement became final. This occurred one day after the US presidential election, which Democrat Joe Biden won. Biden had promised to rejoin the Paris Agreement if elected, and he wasted no time in doing so. On his first day in office, January 20, 2021, he signed an executive order to rejoin the agreement.
With the United States back in the Paris Agreement, the global effort to combat climate change receives a significant boost. The US is the world`s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China, and its participation in the agreement is crucial to its success. The Biden administration has set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the shift to clean energy, and the Paris Agreement provides a framework for pursuing those goals.
The United States` return to the Paris Agreement has been widely praised by other countries and environmental groups. The agreement was signed by nearly every country in the world, and its success depends on collective action by all parties. The re-engagement of the United States is a positive step forward for global efforts to address climate change.
In conclusion, the United States is once again a party to the Paris Climate Agreement. The country`s official withdrawal in 2020 was brief, and its return in 2021 has been enthusiastically welcomed by other parties to the agreement. The Paris Agreement remains a critical tool for addressing climate change, and the renewed commitment of the United States is a significant development in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the impacts of climate change.