The following is a statement from Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen in response to President Trump withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

“Far from putting America first, Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a short-sighted sop to the fossil fuel lobby. It is a profound failure of American global leadership. It willfully ignores the climate crisis. It will cost U.S. workers clean energy jobs. History will judge withdrawing from the Paris Agreement as a huge error.

“Trump’s announcement is far from the final word. Legally, the United States is still in the Paris Agreement until at least November 4, 2020. As an environmental law organization, Earthjustice will continue to do everything in our power to accelerate the clean energy transition in the United States and globally. We are already working in states around the country and with partners around the world. Trump’s action won’t reverse the momentum. Progress will continue. The American people will not turn our back on climate leadership. The consequences are simply too dire.”

Background Information:

The landmark Paris Climate Agreement commits countries to hold global temperature rise to “well below 2 degrees Celsius” above pre-industrial levels, and sets a goal of cutting net emissions to zero in the second half of the century.

Earthjustice served as legal advisor to the Pacific island nation of Palau during the negotiations that led to the Paris Climate Agreement and is advising Palau on regulatory reform to ramp up renewable energy deployment and achieve its emissions reduction target under the Paris Agreement.

Resources:

• Feature: Bright Spots From The Resistance: Why There’s Hope For Climate and Clean Energy Progress
• Commentary: Staying in the Paris Agreement puts America, and the planet, first
• Memo: What You Should Know About The Paris Agreement: A Good Deal for the United States. An Essential Deal for the Planet