Press Conference to Determine Fate of Paris Climate Accord in US Scheduled for 3

One of the largest issues affecting every nation in the world is climate. With the recent increase in emissions, the climate of the earth is on the decline and if the world is to stay inhabitable, the way we as a race treat the earth must change.

To address this concern, 191 nations signed the Paris Climate Accord, a document which created standards that nations must follow. Most nations had no problems signing onto this agreement, and neither did the US until the administration changed.

Trump has finally made up his mind on the subject, and the official word will be released today at three o’clock. This press conference may just be a formality for an action which is already expected. The US pulling out. In the United States, one of the largest issues would be the rise in greenhouse gases, but this would not affect other nations. What could possibly harm the United States more according to a report by Philip Rucker, Chris Mooney, and Brady Dennis is the harm that would come to alliances that the United States have around the world.

Most nations see (and feel) the effects of climate change on a much greater scale than the United States, so it was not hard for them to sign this deal. The Trump administration sees this deal as a threat to our nation’s sovereignty and wants to fulfill his campaign promise of pulling us out of the deal. If we are to rescind our original signature we will be in an exclusive group with the two notorious nations of Syria and Nicaragua.

Although no one knows what the exact response will be to the United States leaving the Paris Accord, many experts have agreed on a few things. In the short term, there will be no reactionary actions except for admonishment of the decision. In the long term though this may shake the very foundation of the accord, causing them to vote on different questions that won’t risk the leaving of any nations. In the far future though, people doubt that the accord will every reach its end goal.

There are three specific areas of concern for the US now that they will most likely pull out: China, Europe, and India.

The Chinese are well-known around the world for the poor quality of their air. This, however, gives them an ideal opportunity to take the lead on this globally agreed upon issue. They are still competing with the United States to be the hegemon, and by leading the initiative against climate change many other nations may back them. They do have some ulterior motives though. By leading this initiative, they may not be scrutinized as closely as other nations will be, and for a nation that leads the world in coal usage and export, they could skew the view of their nation. This means they will not be as transparent as other nations which will make their actions come across as superficial.

Next, Europe has not budged in response to the United States change in heart, with both the E.U. commissioner for climate and energy and the French ambassador to the US saying that they fully support and stand behind the push for clean energy. French Ambassador Gerard Araud even said in a tweet, “The Paris Accord is a political agreement. It doesn’t infringe on US sovereignty. National commitments are voluntary and may be amended,” trying to convince Trump to rethink his hasty action.

If India is to leave the agreement that could cause the biggest issue. Being one of the toughest nations to get to agree to the accord, it is crucial that they remain. They sit on the largest bed of coal in the world. This could be a major source of income for them if they choose to exploit it. Unlike China, they are not that dedicated to the cause of climate change, so there is nothing binding them to remain.

Based on how these three powers work together and make decisions in the future will decide the success or failure of the Paris Accord.

For the US, as was mentioned before, backing out now could have many major effects on their foreign policy. Trump has made it quite clear that he does not really care about the environment, but he has made it clear that he cares about terrorism, containment of North Korea, and better trade deals: three areas that can not be addressed without foreign involvement. By backing out of the Paris Accord, the United States is setting a dangerous precedent that they may not always keep their treaties. If the United States cannot respect the foreign nation’s concerns about the climate, why should they aid the United States with their concerns?

This same thought is what has many Republican leaders jumping on the “pro-Paris” bandwagon. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has expressed his support of the Paris Accord after analyzing the possible and probable diplomatic fallout that would result. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney also released a tweet in support of Paris because it will gain the trust of the other nations around the world, keeping the US a global leader.

Former chief negotiator under President Obama, Todd Stern, released a statement of his own saying that if the United States is to pull out, we are waging “Bitterness, anger, and disgust” from nations around the world who could help on during this globally turbulent time.