By: Sophie D.
Although the Paris Climate Accord is a big name that Trump and Biden throw around when debating climate policies, many Americans do not actually understand its full implications. While domestic policies like the Green New Deal and the Biden Plan are discussed in detail, international climate policies like the Paris Climate Accord are often deemed less important. This is a large issue, as climate change is not simply a domestic issue, but a global crisis. Furthermore, major carbon emitting and influential countries like the United States should act as leaders for other countries on the global scale, encouraging them to prioritize climate policy as well.
So, what is the Paris Climate Accord? It is a global environmental agreement with the ultimate goal to lower carbon emissions and prevent a disastrous rise in temperatures worldwide. It includes a consensus that all major greenhouse gas emitting countries must cut their pollution as well as a framework for developed countries to assist developing countries in climate adaptation efforts (Denchak 2018). It was signed in 2015 and formally adopted by 197 countries in 2016, including the United States of America, with the objective of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (UNFCCC 2020).
As of November 4, 2020, the United States is the first country to drop out of the Paris Climate Accord (Friedman 2020), leaving many to question what the implications of this action actually are. One possibility is that other countries that were reluctant to join the agreement may also decide to drop out, namely Russia and Saudi Arabia (Ayres 2019). Because the United States has such a large impact on the actions of other countries, leaving the agreement will set a precedent that countries can choose if they want to opt in to climate policy, when it is certain that there is no opting out of climate change. Also, as the world’s second largest carbon emitter, the United States is one of the most important countries within the agreement. Without their cooperation, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to meet the standards of the Paris Climate Accord.
Fortunately, there is some hope on the matter of the accord. If Biden wins the United States election, he can easily rejoin the agreement. In addition, states within the U.S. such as California have committed to meeting the goals of the agreement no matter where the United States stands (Nuccitelli 2018). On top of that, the Paris Climate Accord has been gaining momentum recently, and it is unlikely that the departure of the U.S. will do much to stop other countries from continuing their work toward a carbon neutral future (Friedman 2020).
What is certain is that international climate policy is incredibly important. Without the cooperation of countries on a global scale, there is little hope for progress in the fight against climate change. Individual actions and policies by countries are important, but even more important is the ability to hold every country to the same standard of carbon emissions and pollution output. At the end of the day, climate change is an international problem. It is only fitting that its solution is international as well.
Students from the Washington area participated in a youth climate strike on Capitol Hill in March 2019. Photo Credits: Ting Shen of New York Times
Discussion Questions:
Do you believe that influential and high carbon emitting countries like the United States have an obligation to remain active in international climate policy?
What do you think the largest impact of the United States leaving the Paris Climate Accord will be?
Do you believe the world can reach the goals of the Paris agreement without the participation of the United States?