Axios and other sources are reporting that President Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement
President Trump has made his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the decision. Details on how the withdrawal will be executed are being worked out by a small team including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. They’re deciding on whether to initiate a full, formal withdrawal — which could take 3 years — or exit the underlying United Nations climate change treaty, which would be faster but more extreme.
Why this matters: Pulling out of Paris is the biggest thing Trump could do to unravel Obama’s climate legacy. It sends a combative signal to the rest of the world that America doesn’t prioritize climate change and threatens to unravel the ambition of the entire deal.
The other outliers: The only other two countries that aren’t supporting the deal are Nicaragua and Syria.
Over the weekend I posted about the decision being imminent and now it seems to have happened.
There is really no downside to pulling out of this agreement. Like virtually all climate change agreements, it is designed to penalize the Western world in the name of thinking the right thoughts.
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