Donald Trump, on his first day in office for his second term, signed several executive orders in front of selected members of the press. These range from blocking birthright citizenship to issues related to gender. He also signed two orders that marked his steadfast criticism of globalization. These include an order that initiates the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization and another order that pulled out the country once again from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Pulling Out from the Paris Climate Agreement: The Reasons Why Donald Trump Does Not Want the United States to Get Involved with the Paris Climate Accords
Background: Signing, Pulling Out, Re-Admission, and Pulling Out
The Paris Climate Agreement or the Paris Climate Accords is an international treaty on climate change that was negotiated by 196 parties at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. It was signed on 22 April 2016. At its heart is the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Note that the U.S., under the administration of Barack Obama, was one of the early signatories of the treaty. It also started enforcing it on 4 November 2016. However, on 4 August 2017, under the first-term administration of Donald Trump, the U.S. notified the U.N. that it would be withdrawing from the agreement as soon as it was qualified to do so. The treaty requires signatories to have its provision enforced for 3 years before they become eligible for withdrawal.
Hence, in November 2019, the Trump administration again deposited the same notification to the U.N. Secretary-General. The withdrawal became official on 4 November 2020. Joe Biden, upon assuming office on 20 January 2021, signed an executive order that re-admitted the United States to the Paris Climate Agreement. However, on 20 January 2025, for his second term, Trump signed an executive order again withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement.
Arguments: Reasons Trump Pulled Out From the Paris Climate Agreement
1. Unfavorable to American Business and Economy
Trump earlier contended that the treaty would result in significant financial costs. These include a potential loss of USD 3 trillion in GDP and 6.5 million jobs. He underscored that adhering to the stipulations of the agreement would disadvantage the U.S. economy because of its specific impacts in certain industries and sectors like domestic fossil fuel production and manufacturing. Part of this claim also includes how it could put U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage.
2. Nonrealistic Goals and Inequitable Enforcement
Another reason why Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement is his view that the goals set are unrealistic for the national interest of the country. He has also repeatedly argued that the treaty lacked legally binding emissions targets for all countries. Trump pointed out how China and India had more lenient goals. Moreover, mirroring the sentiments of those who oppose the treaty, he believes that an undue burden should not be placed on developed countries alone.
3. Independence Concerns and America First Policy
The withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is also part of the overall criticism of globalization. Trump asserts that international agreements infringe upon U.S. sovereignty by dictating domestic policies. Note that he ran a campaign based on the populist theme of America First. Part of this is to promote fossil fuels and deregulation to achieve energy independence. He announced a plan to declare a national energy emergency on his second-term first day in office.
Reactions: Criticisms and Additional Contexts
The U.S. remains the sole nation to have officially pulled out from the Paris Agreement. It is worth noting that it is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. Other countries and their world leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to the accord. The European Union vowed to stick to the agreement during the January 2025 World Economic Forum at Davos.
China has also reaffirmed its commitment. It updated its Nationally Determined Contributions in 2021 and further pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. However, because of its status as a developing economy, it has avoided certain financial obligations under the Paris Agreement. This has attracted criticism.
Nevertheless, since 2017, the decision of the U.S. under the Trump administration to withdraw from the Paris Agreement has drawn criticisms from other world leaders, domestic politicians, the scientific community, and various nonprofit organizations. Some have also noted that this cedes U.S. influence to countries like China in climate policy and clean energy markets.
Those who agree with the decision of Trump have highlighted the advantages of not being part of the agreement. These include avoiding costs associated with implementing climate policies and contributing to international climate funds, regulatory flexibility, and promoting domestic energy production with the addition of fossil fuels and ensuring energy security.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- BBC News. 2 June 2017. “Paris Climate Deal: Trump Pulls Out of 2015 Accord.” BBC. Available online
- Domonoske, C. 20 January 2025. “Trump Plans To Declare a ‘National Energy Emergency.’ What Does That Mean?” NPR. Available online
- Jepsen, H. ed. 2021. Negotiating the Paris Agreement: The Insider Stories. Cambridge University Press. DOI: 1017/9781108886246
- Keyton, D. and Arasu, S. 21 January 2025. “European Leaders at Davos Vow to Stick to Paris Climate Agreement Despite Trump’s Withdrawal.” AP. Available online
- The White House. 20 January 2025. “Unleashing American Energy.” The White House. Available online
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. n.d. The Paris Agreement: What is the Paris Agreement? United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Available online