U.S. Policy Towards Paris Climate Agreement

MEMORANDUM

TO: Donald Trump, President of the United States

CC: Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

FROM: Hedvig Blanco, Student        

DATE: May 9, 2018

SUBJECT: U.S. Policy in regards to Paris Climate Agreement

CONTEXT

According to the United Nations the Paris Agreement’s central aim is “to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.” The Paris Agreement requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts in addressing climate change and includes the requirements that all Parties report their emissions and implementation efforts regularly. Climate change is a very real problem of pressing concern and while the U.S. is still a part of the agreement it has announced its decision to withdraw by 2020.

EVIDENCE

The world is warming and scientific evidence shows the last three years have been the hottest on record, with 2017 being the hottest on record behind 2016. Sea levels are rising and glaciers worldwide are melting. Plants and animals are changing because of weather changes. The vast majority of scientists believe these extreme changes are manmade. Trump, however, is skeptical of climate change and has made the decision to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. The implications of this decision will be significant for the US and the rest of the world. The U.S. has a huge sphere of influence and should use this power to persuade other nations to put forth their best efforts in combating climate change. The U.S. abandoning its Paris pledge could potentially lead other nations to weaken their efforts or worse abandon the agreement all together.   

TASK AND SOLUTION

President Trump refuses to acknowledge that tackling this issue requires cooperation with other nations as well as personal responsibility and accountability. The first suggestion I would give would be to take a political stance on the issue of climate change. President Trump has never publicly acknowledged that climate change is real and happening. Trump’s emphasis on “America First” departs from the Obama Administration’s attitudes toward climate change. Trump believes that the Paris Agreement undermines U.S. competitive edge and weakens both employment and traditional energy industries. Trump stated in his withdrawal speech that “the Paris Accord is very unfair at the highest level to the U.S.”. Furthermore, he compared China and India’s obligations with those of the U.S. However, instead of comparing the U.S.’s contributions and progress with those of other nations Trump should lead by example. As the President of the U.S., a power house country, other nations often turn to see our role and course of action in various situations. The U.S. withdrawing from this climate agreement sets a bad precedent for global climate change cooperation. By cutting U.S. climate aid it will be more difficult for developing countries to adapt to climate change and to reach the 2 degree Celsius target of the Paris Agreement.

IMPLEMENTATION

President Trump should begin with a public acknowledgment of climate change. The Trump administration should promote regulations that ensure the lowering of emissions and harmful toxins to the environment. While Trump has already decided to withdraw from the agreement he can still show his support for the fight against climate change and recognize that it is a real issue that we should be concerned about by publically noting the efforts the U.S. is making to combat carbon emissions at home. In doing so, Trump will inspire other nations to continue on in the fight against global climate change.