Editorial | US should shoulder climate responsibility
- Washington has given formal notice that it will withdraw from the Paris pact, but the world would be a safer place if it remained with other nations to fight global warming
The Trump administration has given formal notice to the United Nations that it is withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement, prompting the leaders of China and France to reassert their mutual support for the “irreversible” accord.
The countdown to the US exit will end a day or two before the next presidential election because, owing to withdrawal rules, it can be done no sooner.
Ultimately, therefore, US participation may be determined by whether Donald Trump is re-elected, but parties to the accord have to plan ahead without counting on American support.
This calls for a global diplomatic effort to preserve the resolve among nearly 200 nations to address climate change. At stake are cuts in greenhouse emissions to keep global warming within safe limits and a pledge to help poor countries cope.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron maintained their “strong commitment to improving international cooperation on climate change”.
Macron said compliance with the Paris agreement would require new emission reduction commitments in 2030 – the year by which China promises to cap emissions – and 2050.