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Trump Pulls USA out of Paris Agreement

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Trump Pulls USA out of Paris Agreement

In a blow to the US economy and the environment, the White House has announced the US is pulling out of the UN Paris Agreement.

This move damages US influence on a wide range of other global issues and is yet another repudiation of some of its closest traditional allies. It also provides China with a massive opportunity to seize global leadership from the US on climate change and low carbon investment.

Global stability depends on governments sticking to the agreements they make. This arbitrary and inexplicable act by President Trump undermines confidence in the future of every international agreement to which the US is a party.

The act is also a slap in the face to some of Trump’s most respected senior Cabinet members, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. A majority of Americans support remaining in the Paris Agreement, as do many of the country’s largest and most successful companies including Starbucks, Nike, Google and Apple.

Quotes

Tom Burke, Chairman of E3G said:

“The rest of the world has already made up its mind to make the transition out of fossil fuels and though this decision is clearly a blow to climate diplomacy it will have little effect on what happens in the real energy economy which is increasingly driven by innovation, efficiency and falling costs.”

Taylor Dimsdale, Head of Research at E3G said:

“Paris was a great deal for America. Pulling out of the agreement puts the US at a disadvantage in the multi-trillion dollar market for clean energy technologies, while at the same time making the US look untrustworthy to its closest allies.”

Camilla Born, Policy Advisor at E3G said:

“Trump is doing a profound disservice to the US and the rest of the world. With climate impacts already a daily reality it is more important than ever to unite our efforts to protect citizens and economies. Pulling out of Paris does just the opposite.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

E3G is an independent climate change think tank operating to accelerate the global transition to a low carbon economy. E3G specializes in climate diplomacy, climate risk, energy policy and climate finance.

In 2016, E3G was ranked the fifth most influential environmental think tank in the World.

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