Trump aides deliberate over the Paris Climate accord
President Trump's aides are deliberating Tuesday over how America should address the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, the non-binding document signed by former President Barack Obama that aims to reduce global levels of carbon dioxide, The New York Times reports.
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to pull out of the accord, but has since said he has an "open mind to it. We're going to look very carefully." Besides the U.S., 125 nations or groups have already ratified the agreement.
By having signed the accord, the U.S. vowed to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by between 26 and 28 percent by 2025. Trump could theoretically pull from the agreement with no consequences, or remain but simply not act to reach the emissions goal. Industry sources reportedly told Axios that they expect the U.S. will "remain a part of the pact but weaken or jettison the Obama-era carbon cutting pledge in the non-binding pact, something effectively already underway anyway as EPA and other agencies unwind Obama policies."
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While America's withdrawal wouldn't necessarily unravel the agreement, "any sign that the administration would not be serious will provoke an international reaction that would undermine the administration's foreign policy," said Nigel Purvis, former President George W. Bush's top environmental diplomat.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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