Once President-elect Biden sits in the presidential chair next year, the U.S. will re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement from which Trump backed out in 2017. The agreement was created in 2015, to which the U.S. under the Obama administration, was one of more than 200 countries who made a commitment to take actions in circumventing the terrible effects of climate change predicted by scientists.
President-elect Joe Biden gave a promise that he will bring the country back into the folds of the climate accord any moment in February. All that the incoming Biden administration needs to do is to mail a letter to the United Nations as a way of affirming the country’s intent to join the accord again. Once sent, the formal return of the country will be recognized on the following month.
Immediately after the country’s return to the Paris Climate Accord, the U.S. will agree with other member countries in setting down voluntary goals aimed at lowering domestic emissions; and in implementing sterner objectives in related future goals. Additionally, part of each member country’s binding commitment is to submit accurate reports about the progress made in achieving their respective climate change commitments.
Why Rejoining the Paris Climate Accord is an Important Step for the Biden Administration
The next climate talks of the United Nation will be held in Glasgow, Scotland next year in November. Countries are anticipated to present fresh and ambitious goals for 2030, while the focus is expected to center mainly on the goals of thd U.S.
According to the 2019 report of the UN’s scientific panel, the Earth’s current atmosphere is on course to reach higher levels of 1.5°C or 2.7°F within the next 20 years. The apprehension is that once the Earth’s temperature reaches 2°C, the occurrence could trigger a global food crisis.
The United States is the only country to have taken a step backward by withdrawing from the pact.That is notwithstanding the fact the U.S is one of the major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions that continue to worsen the effects of climate change. This was stated in the 2018 report submitted to the U.N. by lead author Natalie Mahowald, a climate scientist at Cornell University.
Why Did Trump Withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord?
First off, Donald Trump is admittedly not a believer in science. This was quite evident on how he disregarded the warnings and advice of science experts on steps to take in order to overcome the strickening effects of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the country.
While the goal of the Paris Accord is to keep the global temperatures from getting hotter, by maintaining the global temperature below 2°C or 3.6°F, Trump’s plans do not jibe with such goals. As it is, Trump wanted to revitalize the country’s coal industry and has in fact opened more of the country’s fossil fuel resources for leasing; wanting to be recognized for making the U.S. great again by expanding the country’s oil and gas production to greater limits.
However, Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord isolated the country from the majority that officially embraced the climate change accord.
