Syria signs Paris accord, leaving US alone on climate change
War-torn regime to sign global warming deal, further isolating the Trump administration

Syria has announced it will sign the Paris Climate Agreement, leaving the US the only country in the world which has not signed, after Donald Trump withdrew earlier this year.
Until recently just Syria and Nicaragua had refused to join, believing the agreement did not go far enough. Now both have agreed to sign.
Almost 200 countries have now pledged to work to limit harmful greenhouse gas emissions and avert dangerous climate change by keeping global warming “well below 2 degrees Celsius”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The US was one of the first countries to begin putting the plan into action. Former President Barack Obama bypassed Congress by signing an executive order - which made it easy for Donald Trump to withdraw from the deal in June.
Domestically, the move “appears to be part of a larger scheme to roll back Obama-era environmental regulations, including the Clean Power Plan which was supposed to be one of the main vehicles for the US to meet Paris targets”, says The Independent.
However Trump’s decision to quit the Paris Agreement despite huge opposition both at home and abroad may have inadvertently strengthened all other nations’ resolve, according to Glen Peters of the Centre for International Climate Research in Oslo.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Peters said: “This is one side benefit of the Trump thing. It plays a role in galvanising the remaining 200 or so countries. So he may actually achieve the opposite and strengthen the Paris Agreement.”
There are hopes that, given provisions aimed at cutting emissions will not take effect until 2020, the White House can still be persuaded to back the accord. Failing that, Trump may not win a second term, leaving the possibility open for his successor to rejoin the agreement once inaugurated.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
America's academic brain drain has begun
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the Trump administration targets universities and teachers, educators are eying greener academic pastures elsewhere — and other nations are starting to take notice
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Why is Musk targeting a Wisconsin Supreme Court race?
Today's Big Question His money could help conservatives, but it could also produce a Democratic backlash
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How to pay off student loans
The explainer Don't just settle for the default repayment plan
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson Published
-
The fight for control of Ukraine's nuclear reactors
The Explainer How serious is Donald Trump about US ownership of Kyiv's nuclear power plants?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The El Salvador mega-prison at the centre of Trump's deportation scheme
The Explainer Invoking a 1798 law, the US president has sent hundreds of alleged gang members to high-security prison called 'black hole of human rights'
By Abby Wilson Published
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Romania's election chaos risks international fallout
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By barring far-right candidate Calin Georgescu from the country's upcoming electoral re-do, Romania places itself in the center of a broader struggle over European ultra-nationalism
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Why is Netanyahu pushing into the West Bank now?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Israeli tanks have entered some Palestinian cities for the first time in decades. What's behind this latest assault on the occupied territory, and where could it lead if left unchecked?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published