US President Trump declared “As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord.” That includes contributions to the UN Green Climate Fund (to help poorer countries to adapt to climate change and expand clean energy) and reporting on carbon data (though that is required in the US by domestic regulations anyway). Though it will still remain part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Now the question remains what impact this decision will have on nearly 200 countries that remain in the deal will they also amend their own obligations. The US is the world’s second-largest emitter of carbon, behind only to China – which, along with India, was singled out by Trump as being favoured under the Paris deal. But both Beijing and New Delhi have reaffirmed their commitment to meeting their targets.
In separate statements and messages on social media, leaders of Apple, Google, Twitter, Amazon, Facebook, Tesla, Microsoft and IBM declared climate change an “urgent” threat that required a global effort to combat.Microsoft was among more than two dozen companies to publish an open letter urging Trump to remain in the accord.
The White House has declined to say whether Donald Trump believes human activity contributes to climate change as the president pulled America out of the Paris agreement.
Administration officials were also unable to offer revised US carbon emission targets or say what changes to the global landmark accord would persuade Trump to re-enter it. But they did offer assurance that America will abide by the lengthy exit process outlined in the deal, waiting three-and-a-half years to formally withdraw.