US & World Respond To Trump’s Withdrawal From Paris Climate Agreement

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US President Donald Trump has announced to the world that he is withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, much to the delight of his own supporters and Republicans, and do the public concerns of pretty much the rest of the world.

We covered the breaking news as it happened here, but below are a growing list of responses from US politicians, past and present, and international and US environmental groups. Where possible, I have included links to the full statement, which I have shortened for brevity’s sake. Note: I will not be bothering to publish the sycophantic responses from those agreeing with President Trump’s blind and ignorant decision. If you’re desperate, you can not only guess who they are, but also what they said.

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.

“Donald Trump has absolutely chosen the wrong course. He’s wrong on the facts. America’s economy is boosted by following the Paris Agreement. He’s wrong on the science. Totally wrong. California will resist this misguided and insane course of action. Trump is AWOL but California is on the field, ready for battle.”

“Building on the global momentum to combat climate change and continuing California’s leading role in broadening collaboration amongst subnational leaders, Governor Brown will travel to China tomorrow to strengthen California’s long-standing climate, clean energy and economic ties with the nation. The Governor will also attend the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn, Germany to represent subnational jurisdictions that remain committed to climate action.”

Anthony Hobley, CEO of the Carbon Tracker Initiative

“The abandonment of the Paris Agreement by the Trump administration, if confirmed, is an economic and leadership failure of monumental proportions and will sadly cast the U.S. on the wrong side of history. Nevertheless, the rest of the world and key parts of the US economy, such as California, will get on with implementation regardless.”

WWF Scotland acting director Dr Sam Gardner

“Today’s announcement from the White House is extremely disappointing, as the US backs away from an unprecedented global agreement to tackle climate change. However, the world is making it very clear that the Paris Agreement will endure, and while the US withdrawal will impact our climate trajectory, it will not define its final outcome.”

350.org Executive Director May Boeve

“Trump has made his decision and we’re making ours – the rest of the world and the majority of Americans who support the Paris Climate Agreement will stand by it. We won’t be dragged back by a shortsighted and destructive fossil fuel puppet in the White House. While the Trump Administration has spent its first months rolling back hard-won protections for our communities and climate, we have spent it developing a shared vision of the transition away from fossil fuels towards a 100% clean energy economy that works for all.”

Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association

“Despite the decision today to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord, the wind industry expects to continue as an American economic success story.

“We’re growing and hiring nine times faster than the average industry by providing affordable, reliable and clean electricity. Wind has created over 100,000 American jobs, and we now make parts for turbines in 500 factories across 43 states. Wind already saves American companies and consumers billions a year on their energy bills.”

Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard

“This is disgraceful. By withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, the Trump administration has turned America from a global climate leader into a global climate deadbeat. The world has already resolved to act on climate, the renewable energy industry is growing exponentially, and people all over the globe are becoming part of the clean energy future. Progress will continue with or without Donald Trump, but he is making it as painful as possible for people around the world. He can’t cancel a multilateral treaty signed by nearly 200 sovereign nations, but this decision shows he is determined to keep America stuck in the fossil fuel past while China and other nations become 21st century leaders.

“Trump’s isolationist stance at this critical moment in history is morally reprehensible, but his attempt to derail global progress on climate change will fail. The Paris Agreement will remain in force, with or without the US government, and the transition to clean energy will continue.

WWF’s global Climate & Energy Practice Leader Manuel Pulgar-Vidal

“The Paris Agreement is the world’s collective response to tackling climate change. But the transformative power of the Paris Agreement lies in the targets that it triggers, and nations must hold each other accountable for their promises.

“A race to the bottom when it comes to our efforts to cut carbon pollution benefits no one as climate change affects everyone. Cities, states, companies and the public in the US and around the world support climate action, and are already contributing to creating low-carbon economies from the bottom up.

“Fortunately, the Paris Agreement is bigger than any one nation or any one government. We can still achieve the promise of Paris, but we have no time to lose. Countries around the world must seize the opportunity to unleash this potential, invest in renewable energy that eliminates harmful carbon pollution, and build economies that are more resilient, inclusive and prosperous.”

Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund-US

“The Paris Agreement emerged as nations put aside politics to collectively reverse course on this threat to our way of life. The US helped lead that charge. Honoring our commitments and delivering on our promises have been hallmarks of US domestic and international policy. US environmental laws and regulations have served as models for such policies around the world.

Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune

“Generations from now, Americans will look back at Donald Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement as one of the most ignorant and dangerous actions ever taken by any President. Trump’s decision to ignore the vast majority of the American public and the scientific community will harm our country, costing us lives, jobs and our role as a world leader. Trump has isolated our country on the world stage, ceding our leadership position and our economic advantage on clean energy to India and China, and justifying it all by chanting a slogan from a baseball hat.

“It’s hard to overstate the negative consequences at home and abroad of this foolish, self-destructive move that will only help boost profits for few of the worst polluters while risking the health of our families and communities. Future scholars will search in vain to find a President with this level of disdain for reality and the future of humanity.”

More responses will come as we find them. 


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Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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