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Why Trump’s 2nd withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will be different

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By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: President-elect Donald Trump is expected to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement for a second time when he takes office in January, potentially faster than during his first term
Unlike in 2017, Trump could expedite the process, taking only a year to officially exit the accord
This move would again leave the U.S. isolated as one of the only nations outside the global climate pact

🔭 The context: The U.S. was instrumental in crafting the Paris Agreement, aiming to unify countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing climate aid to poorer nations
President Biden rejoined the agreement in 2021, pledging to halve U.S. emissions by 2030, though the U.S. still struggles to meet this target
Trump's possible departure could create ripple effects, weakening climate efforts in other nations and allowing China to increase its influence in clean energy

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Another U.S. withdrawal risks weakening global climate commitments and could embolden other major emitters to reduce their climate actions
The Paris Agreement’s non-binding nature relies on countries voluntarily scaling up efforts; without U.S. leadership, ambitious emissions targets and global climate financing may be undermined

⏭️ What’s next: Trump could expedite the exit, and there’s speculation he may go further by withdrawing from the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, a foundational climate agreement
This would leave the U.S. out of annual global climate negotiations and potentially weaken international climate governance

💬 One quote: “I think we lose when the U.S. is out,” said Jonathan Pershing, a former U.S. climate envoy, warning that China’s influence could grow in the absence of U.S. engagement

📈 One stat: Global clean energy capacity has increased from 180 GW in 2016 to 600 GW in 2024, showing progress despite political shifts

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