US President Donald Trump has withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement – a move widely denounced by the international community.
China has expressed its concern over Trump’s moves to reverse US climate goals, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun saying: “Climate change is a common challenge facing mankind. No country can be outside of it. No country can be immune to it.” At a press conference, he reiterated China’s resolve to act on climate change was unchanged.
The Trump regime has also moved immediately to significantly curtail wind power and electric vehicle (EV) growth in the US. An “energy emergency” was also announced, which includes lifting the moratorium on new US licenses to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) and “a barrage of pro-fossil fuel actions”.
A South Africa government minister expressed “profound regret” over the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The government said thewithdrawal is “an abdication of the global responsibility that damages multilateralism, international law, and trust between nations.” African Business reported that the chair of the African climate negotiating bloc said the group was “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
US EXITS PARIS AGREEMENT
Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, the New York Times reported. By exiting, the world’s biggest historic emitter joins three others as the only countries not committed to the global deal to keep global warming well-below 2C by the end of the century. The decision will take one year to take effect, the newspaper added.
‘FATAL SIGNAL’ CONDEMNED BY EUROPEAN UNION
European leaders this week condemned Trump’s decision, Bloomberg reported. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the Paris Agreement was “the best hope for all humanity”, while Germany’s economy minister described Trump’s exit as a “fatal signal to the world”, according to the publication. The Times reported that UK prime minister Keir Starmer however refused to condemn Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
US WIND WOES
Trump also signed a bill temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects, the Associated Press reported. The Washington Post examined how the move could “significantly curtail” wind power growth over the next four years.
US WIELDS AXES ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Reuters reported that Trump also signed an order to revoke a 2021 bill signed by Biden, which sought to ensure half of all new vehicles sold in the US were electric by 2030. A Lex opinion article in the Financial Times said the move could be enough to have a “chilling effect on the market”. An FT editorial contrasted Trump’s approach with China’s push for EVs, calling it a “bet on the energy status quo, not on the future”.
US OIL AND GAS ‘UNLEASHED’
The Trump regime also announced an “energy emergency”, as part of “a barrage of pro-fossil fuel actions to unleash already booming US energy production”, the Guardian reported. This included lifting the moratorium on new US licenses to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) put in place by Biden, Bloomberg reported. The Financial Times reported that Trump could be thwarted by Wall Street’s “reluctance to approve another drilling binge” due to “investor pressure…[and] economic realities”.
Sources:
- Global Times, Jan 21, 2025. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1
- Carbon Brief, Jan 23, 2025. https://www.carbonbrief.org/china-briefing-23-january…/
Photo: Technological decline of US continues
China Environment News 