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Trump takes US out of Paris Agreement
The new US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order which pulls the country out of the Paris Agreement. While this has evoked widespread consternation, many observers are also saying that the US move may not derail global climate action.
Over 5,000 state and local leaders in the US have pledged to work towards the Paris Agreement. “Rest assured, our states, cities, businesses and local institutions stand ready to pick up the baton of US climate leadership and do all they can – despite federal complacency – to continue the shift to a clean energy economy,” says americalisallin.com, a grouping of entities that claims to represent 63 per cent of the US population and 74 per cent of its GDP.
Observers also noted that during the first Trump presidency, between 2016 and 2020, (when he had also pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement), renewable energy installations only grew. Annual wind installations grew from about 8,200 MW in 2016, to 16,913 MW in 2020; solar rose from 14,800 MW to 19,200 MW.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, a record 834 billion kWhr of electricity were generated from renewable energy sources, accounting for 21 per cent of all electricity generated in the country, and surpassing for the first time the output of coal (774 billion kWhr).
It has also been noted that many companies and state governments in the US have their own climate goals, which are unaffected by the US getting out of the Paris Agreement. Examples: California (carbon neutrality by 2045), New York (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 and 85 per cent by 2050, over 1990 levels), Washington, Vermont and Massachusetts (net zero by 2050).
On the other hand, while the US pulling out of the Paris Agreement may not be a major blow to global climate action, it is certainly a setback, observers say. Only in December 2024 did the US, under the Biden administration, unveil its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – well ahead of the February-end deadline. Many countries, including India, are yet to submit their own updated NDCs. The US had said that it would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66 per cent over 2005 levels, by 2035. This commitment has now been thrown out of the window.
- Also read: Paris Agreement: India’s window to curb carbon emissions possible, but looks increasingly hard
US withdrawal and India
Some climate observers, such as Aarti Khosla, Director, Climate Trends, a Delhi-based research consultancy, have noted that the US’ exit could afford an opportunity for other countries, including India. “In the leadership vacuum left by the US, other countries, business leaders and subnational actors will seize the chance to continue our shift to a clean energy economy and not lose the progress on climate solutions,” Khosla told businessline.
She observed that in 2022, the world lost $1.4 trillion worth of GDP to climate change, out of which India lost 8 per cent worth of its GDP. “Our upcoming Union Budget is an opportunity for India to prioritise our climate policies and ensure that we are ahead of the curve and not slowing down. This is India’s opportunity to show the global south leadership by ramping up climate action,” Khosla said.
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