The United States will withdraw from Paris Climate Agreement

The US President has announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris agreement on climate change aimed at cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The new US administration wants to renegotiate a more favourable agreement for the United States, considering that the deal would threaten the US economy: according to the White House, it would cost nearly US$3,000bn in reduced output, over 6 million industrial jobs and over 3 million manufacturing jobs.



The Paris agreement was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015, in an attempt to cut global GHG emissions and to keep global temperature increases "well below" 2°C. The United States, which committed in November 2014 to reduce net GHG emissions by 26%-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, formally ratified the agreement in September 2016. The Paris agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016, i.e. 30 days after 55 countries, representing 55% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or accession with the Secretary-General. European leaders have already announced that the agreement would not be renegotiated.



The United States is the second largest CO₂ emitter behind China and the new administration is currently reviewing all major US regulations on power plants (such as the Clean Power Plan) and car rules aimed at cutting CO₂ emissions. The United States will have to follow a lengthy exit process, having to remain in the agreement for another 3.5 years: the withdrawal will only be effective in November 2020, but the country is ceasing immediately all implementation of the agreement.