President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement June 1, 2017, joining Nicaragua and Syria as countries not participating in the United Nations-sponsored pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
Joseph Cotruvo, Ph.D., BCES, technical editor of sister publication Water Technology and former director of both the EPA Drinking Water Standards and the Risk Assessment Divisions, sent us his thoughts on the decision (see the full quote below). In summary, he indicated that the U.S. carried more of a financial burden in the agreement, which "was politically notable as an international agreement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but mostly words without requirements," and a renegotiation may improve the U.S.’s participation.
Further reactions to the Paris Climate Agreement exit
Below are a few other remarks from U.S. states, industry and business leaders, and trade associations. The Processing, Flow Control and Water Technology staffs will update these as more companies and associations react to this decision.
- Microsoft’s statement reiterated that "Microsoft believes that climate change is an urgent issue that demands global action. We have a longstanding commitment to sustainability, which includes operating 100 percent carbon neutral and setting goals to increase the amount of green energy to power our operations."
- According to reports from Fox Business and ABC News, California, Washington and New York formed the U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold the Paris Climate Agreement. To that end, the ILR School at Cornell University in New York announced the launch of a new union-led climate jobs campaign.
- The American Chemical Society (ACS) also released a statement, June 1, saying it "is disappointed to learn that the Trump administration plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Society asks that this and future administrations reconsider this decision. The agreement, signed by 197 countries in 2015 and ratified by 147, is needed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and mitigate and adapt to climate change." ACS also has a Climate Science Toolkit that provides information to help its members understand and discuss climate change.
- While not indicated as a direct response to the decision, The American Petroleum Institute (API) issued a statement on June 1, 2017, that details ways the oil and gas industry can be good stewards of the environment. API Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer Marty Durbin said, "America’s natural gas and oil industry provides the affordable, reliable energy that is the lifeblood of our economy, and we understand that the nation’s prosperity fundamentally relies on our industry’s ability to produce more of these resources in a way that promotes safety, benefits our communities and values environmental stewardship."
