WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Trump Administration announced that it plans to deliver a written notice to the UN that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Agreement. This is a purely symbolic gesture as Trump previously announced his misguided and dangerous decision to withdraw on June 1, and according to the terms of the Agreement, no country can begin the withdrawal process until three years after the Agreement enters into force and the withdrawal would not take effect for one year after that date. The Paris Agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016.
Following his June announcement, Trump’s disapproval rating spiked to 64 percent, including a majority of Americans who believe that withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is hurting U.S. leadership.
In response, Sierra Club Global Climate Policy Director John Coequyt released the following statement:
"Today’s symbolic notice is just one more symptom of a clueless Administration attempting to drum up support for a terrible and widely rebuked decision. It’s clear that Trump and his closest advisors have no idea how this process works nor do they care to do what’s in the best interest of the American people. If they did, Trump would not have announced his withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in the first place.
“But the American people and world leaders alike are not waiting idly by for Trump to play catch up. Thousands of businesses, universities, local governments, and cities across the U.S. have reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement, and as both Trump and his cabinet members have experienced firsthand at international meetings, other countries -- like China, France, and Germany -- have stepped up in the absence of U.S. leadership to charge a new path forward to tackle the climate crisis.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.