World leaders, senior ministers and key figures in climate diplomacy have one by one reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement this week, in response to Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the pact, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
Trump’s move has jeopardized the world’s chances of keeping temperature increases to 1,5°C above pre-industrial levels, as the agreement calls for. Hopes of meeting that goal were already fading, and last year was the first year in which the limit was consistently exceeded. Still, the goal will be measured over years or even decades, and tough emissions cuts now could still make a difference.
In addition to withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, Trump has removed many restrictions and incentives to reduce fossil fuel use and signaled his intention to continue supporting big oil companies. The United States is the world's leading exporter of gas, and oil production has reached record levels during the Biden administration. These factors could undo the progress made in the renewable energy sector across the country in recent years, thanks in part to Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. Adair Turner, president of the Energy Transitions Commission, a think tank, said Trump's actions could add about 0,3°C to global warming and encourage other countries to scale back their efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
But other countries have made progress without, or even despite, the US before. After all, Trump had already begun the process of withdrawing during his previous presidential administration, although it only took effect when he left office. Before that, an international agreement on climate action had been blocked for years during the presidency of George W. Bush.
The US now joins a small number of failed or war-torn states, including Libya, Iran and Yemen, that have rejected the 2015 agreement. Although the United States has long been one of the world’s two largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions – along with China – its importance has declined as developing countries have rapidly increased their share of global carbon dioxide emissions.
How did the world react to Trump's move and what does it mean for global climate diplomacy?
European Union
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos: "The Paris Agreement remains the best hope for all of humanity. Europe will therefore stay on this path and continue to work with all countries that want to protect nature and stop global warming."
Wopke Hoekstra, the EU's climate commissioner, wrote on social media that Trump's decision was "a truly unfortunate development," but stressed that "despite this setback, we remain committed to working with the US and our international partners to address the urgent challenge of climate change... The Paris Agreement has strong foundations and is here to stay."
United Kingdom
Ed Miliband, Britain’s energy secretary for energy security and net zero emissions, told a House of Lords committee on Tuesday that he would “try to find common ground” with Trump and that it remained in the “national interest” for the United States to commit to tackling the climate crisis. “We are strong supporters of the Paris Agreement,” he said. “I believe this transition to clean energy is unstoppable.”
He added that the recent COP29 summit in Azerbaijan demonstrated this. "Countries believe that their national interest remains in the Paris Agreement. The dangers for them lie in not moving forward. The transition is not progressing fast enough, but it is unstoppable."
William Hague, the former British foreign secretary, wrote in The Times: “For a country that has just experienced the devastating fires in Los Angeles and is facing increasingly terrifying hurricanes, leaving the Paris climate agreement and lifting all restrictions on the use of fossil fuels means living in denial.”
Kim Darroch, the former British ambassador to the US, and John Ashton, the UK’s climate envoy from 2006 to 2012, wrote a letter to the paper, urging those in the US who remain committed to climate action to work with international partners. “Failure to tackle climate change will impoverish us all and make our already powder keg world even more insecure. We must now work with those in the US and around the world who understand the urgency of ending the fossil fuel era as soon as possible.”
Canada
Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, told reporters: “It is unfortunate that the President of the United States has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Unfortunately, this is not the first time. The Paris Agreement is bigger than one country – it is 194 countries that have collectively continued to fight climate change despite the absence of the United States. While the federal government no longer seems interested in fighting climate change, we are seeing strong support from the US states and the private sector. It is ironic that the President has made this decision as California is going through its worst wildfire season in its history.”
He later stressed in a statement to The Guardian that Canada is “fully committed to its commitments under the Paris Agreement.” “By continuing to work together, Canada and the US can achieve much more in fostering green growth and creating economic opportunities that simultaneously address climate change and protect terrestrial and marine ecosystems.”
African Group of Negotiators
In a joint statement, the climate group said: “This decision poses a direct threat to global efforts to limit temperature rises and avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change, especially for the world’s most vulnerable countries. The US, as one of the world’s largest carbon emitters, has a historic responsibility to lead climate action. By abandoning its commitments under the Paris Agreement, the US is undermining years of hard-won progress and sending a dangerous message to the international community. For Africa and other developing countries, the consequences are severe. Africa, already on the front lines of the climate crisis, is facing increasing droughts, floods and extreme weather events that threaten lives and livelihoods, exacerbate food insecurity and destabilize economies. The withdrawal of US leadership reduces crucial financial and technical support needed to adapt to these challenges, leaving vulnerable countries to bear an unfair burden.”
Evans Njewa, Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group, posted on X Network: “We deeply regret the US plan to withdraw from the #ParisAgreement (PA). This move threatens to reverse hard-won gains in emissions reductions and puts our vulnerable countries at even greater risk. The PA remains a key climate agreement and we must protect it for the future of our planet and future generations.”
China
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press conference: "Climate change is a common challenge facing all of humanity. No country can stand aside or solve the problem alone. China will work with all parties to actively respond to the challenges of climate change."
Brazil
Marina Silva, Brazil's environment minister, which will host the COP30 talks in Belem in November, said: "Trump's decisions are the opposite of policies guided by evidence from science and common sense, and imposed by the reality of extreme weather events, including those in his own country."
Bonus video:
