Trump and the Paris Agreement

On the 1st of June, Donald Trump announced the United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

As the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter, the United States alone would raise the global temperature by 0.1 to 0.2° by 2030. It will also be necessary to find 3 billion dollar pledged to support developing countries in their efforts to combat global warming.

A campaign promise made …
This choice will be effective in 2020 following the exit procedure, the year of the next presidential election. Could this decision be reviewed with a new tenant in the White House? While the Agreement is not legally binding, it is politically binding.

A sword struck into water?
The resistance did not wait to organize. Indeed, local governments such as New York and Pittsburgh, as well as California, have decided to “do everything the United States would have done if they had remained in the Agreement”. The resignation of Elon Musk, the CEO of the Tesla electric car manufacturer, has shown that companies have also denounced this decision.

An opportunity for Europe
The European Union and its Member States, including the President of the EU JC. Juncker, were indignant at this withdrawal which is symbolically very strong and which could call into question the initial commitments of the chilly states to the planned efforts.

Will the dynamic launched by France during the negotiations at COP21 reinforce the role of the European Union in political governance in the face of environmental challenges?