Trump Pulls United States Out of Paris: Cutting “U.S. Climate Leadership Adrift”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump said today he would withdraw U.S. participation from the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement, the framework for global efforts to combat the climate crisis.
Following is reaction from Manish Bapna, president and CEO at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“Floods wash away entire communities, drought bakes croplands to chalk, and firestorms engulf our cities in flames. This is no time to abandon ship, cut U.S. climate leadership adrift, and throw our children overboard in dark and rising seas.
“This emboldens a fossil fuel industry determined to block climate action and lock in decades more dependence on the dirty fuels driving the climate crisis. It hamstrings American workers and companies in a global clean energy market worth $2 trillion last year alone. It condemns vulnerable nations to pay a price they can’t afford for a crisis they didn’t create.
“The rest of the world is shifting to clean energy. This will slow that transition, not stop it. But will the world break its dependence on fossil fuels quickly enough to avert the worst of climate catastrophe? Will the United States help to shape that future? Will U.S. workers and businesses benefit from its gains, or cede the field to others and watch opportunity slip from our grasp?”
“The United States must remain in the climate fight, uphold the spirit of Paris and keep its promise to the rest of the world. Two-thirds of the country supports clean energy and climate action that’s already creating jobs, cutting consumer costs and making the country more energy secure. As the administration works to reverse those vital gains, we’re counting on states, localities, the private sector, and the people to step up and build on climate and clean energy progress.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.