The US on November 4, 2020 become the first country in the world to formally withdraw from the Paris climate agreement- a global pact to avert the threat of climate change.
Withdrawal procedures under Paris Accord
- President Trump had announced the move in June 2017, but UN regulations meant that his decision only takes effect on November 4, the day after the US election.
- Article 28 of the Paris Accord enables parties to withdraw from the agreement after sending a withdrawal notification to the depositary.
- No country could give notice to leave the agreement until three years had passed from the date of ratification.
- Withdrawal is effective one year after the depositary is notified.
US could re-join
- The US could re-join it in future, and Jo Biden has hinted positively to rejoin the treaty. Under the rules, a month’s notice is required to re-join and the US should be back in the fold.
About Paris Accord
- The Paris Acord, drafted in 2015, aims to keep the global temperature rise this century well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5C.
- It requires countries to set their own voluntary targets for reducing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, and to steadily increase those goals every few years.
- The only binding requirement is that countries have to accurately report on their efforts.
- The accord was signed in December 2015, the treaty only came into force on 4 November 2016, 30 days after at least 55 countries representing 55% of global emissions had ratified it.
- The US represents around 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions-the world’s second biggest emitter after China, it remains the world’s biggest and most powerful economy.
(Source BBC and others)
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