Trump to announce his decision on Paris climate pact soon

The Dollar Business Bureau 

The United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he will be announcing his decision regarding the landmark Paris Climate Accord on Thursday which is today.

“I will be announcing my decision on Paris Accord, Thursday at 3:00 pm. The White House Rose Garden. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” the US president said in a tweet.

To withdraw from the Paris climate change accord, was one of the key electoral promises of Trump. 

Though he still seems to be undecided about the total withdrawal from the Paris agreement, officials from the White House told media on Wednesday, this is a move that would risk rupturing international alliances and disappoint environmentalists as well as corporate titans.

Although the officials cautioned that the thinking of Trump could change before he announces the decision. Withdrawing of US from the climate agreement could have severe implications worldwide. It could also raise concerns about commitment of the largest economy of the world in curbing the global warming and it would make more challenging to keep other countries stick to their environmental promises.

The long-awaited decision by the US will have a long-term impact on the fight against climate change, specifically in countries such as India and China. 

The Paris accord has for long divided the Trump’s administration, with the President himself taking lot of time to come to a decision amidst a strong campaign by both the sides trying to influence his decision.

A large number of outsiders have lobbied the US President to continue to be a part of the global agreement, from former US Vice President Al Gore to Pope Francis. The Trump administration's debate has generated a spate of lobbying from corporates in the US also, as ExxonMobil, Apple and other major firms have strongly braced the agreement.

Trump has often stated America didn’t get a ‘fair deal’ in the pact, which was initiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, in December 2015 in Paris to which more than 190 countries agreed. Since then, 147 countries have formally ratified or otherwise entered into the accord, including the US, which represents over 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the world.

Under the Paris accord, the US promised to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 26% to 28% below the levels in 2005 by 2025. Emissions were 12% lower as of 2015, as per the US Energy Information Administration.

The main aim of the Paris accord is to keep in control the warming of planet to below 2 degrees Celsius above the temperatures of the pre-industrial period of late 1800s. Scientists have determined that the planet is already around one degree Celsius warmer compared to what it was at that time, and in the coming decades emissions could make the planet warmer by 1.5 degrees Celsius.