The Paris Agreement recently made headlines when the United States officially rejoined the agreement on February 19, 2021. This move was a significant reversal of the previous administration’s decision to withdraw from the agreement and was hailed by climate advocates as a much-needed step in the fight against climate change.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, is a legally binding international treaty with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement also aims to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The United States first signed the Paris Agreement in 2016 under the Obama administration. However, in 2017, the Trump administration announced its intention to withdraw from the agreement, citing concerns about the impact of the agreement on American jobs and economic growth.
The official withdrawal from the Paris Agreement took effect on November 4, 2020, making the United States the only country in the world to leave the agreement. However, the Biden administration promptly signaled its intention to rejoin the agreement and officially did so on February 19th, 2021.
The decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement has been met with widespread approval from environmental groups, as well as international leaders. In his first days in office, President Biden also announced a series of executive actions to address climate change, including setting a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and halting new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters.
The United States’ decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement is an important step forward in the global effort to mitigate the effects of climate change. With the re-entry of the US into the fold, it is hoped that other major economies and emitters will also step up their efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
In conclusion, the Paris Agreement is a crucial international treaty in the fight against climate change, and the recent news of the United States’ official return to the agreement is a significant development. With renewed commitment from the world’s largest economy, there is hope that progress can be made towards limiting global warming to a safe level for the planet and future generations.