The international community has closed ranks following the announcement by Donald Trump of the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change signed by 195 countries in 2015. The "climate snub" by the Republican president places the second-largest global emitter of CO2 on par with countries like Iran, Yemen, and Libya.
This is the second time Trump has withdrawn his country from the Paris Agreement, days after 2024 entered history as the hottest year ever recorded and the first to exceed the 1.5-degree increase threshold compared to the pre-industrial era.
Marina Silva, Brazil's Minister of the Environment, where the COP30 will be held in November, was among the first to respond to Trump, with the recent images of the fires in Los Angeles still fresh: "His decision goes directly against what science and common sense indicate, also turning a blind eye to the reality of extreme climate events happening in his own country."
China, the largest global emitter, also distanced itself through its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun: "Climate change is a common challenge facing all of humanity. No country can claim to be 'unaffected' or solve the problem alone. China will actively work with all parties to address the challenges."
During his visit to Davos, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, defended the Paris Agreement as "the best hope for all of humanity." "Europe will stay the course and continue working with all nations to protect nature and halt global warming."
One of the most forceful responses came from Canada's Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault: "It is deplorable that the President of the United States has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Unfortunately, this is not the first time. But the agreement is bigger than one country, and there are 194 others willing to continue collectively fighting climate change in the absence of the U.S."
From the United Kingdom, Energy and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband also responded to Trump with a clear warning: "I believe the transition to renewables is unstoppable. Countries that look out for their own interests will stay in the Paris Agreement because the danger lies in not moving forward."
In a strong statement, the African Negotiators Group described Trump's decision as "a threat to global efforts to limit temperature increases" and reminded of "the historical responsibility" of the United States as one of the countries with the highest emissions.
Former Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, responded to Trump's announcement by pledging to personally finance the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) out of fear that the U.S. may also withdraw its financial support. Bloomberg called on American governors and mayors to stand up to Trump with local action on climate change, as was done in 2017 when he first withdrew from the Paris Agreement.
The official withdrawal will not take place until a year from now, so the United States may still participate in the COP30 in Belem, where 195 countries will need to update their national contributions. Trump could even undermine it from within with the complicity of other hard-right leaders like Argentine President Javier Milei, who withdrew his delegation from COP29 in Baku as a gesture of loyalty to the U.S. president.
According to the NGO Carbon Brief, the measures that Trump can implement (with a renewed push for fossil fuels under the slogan of "drill, baby, drill") could result in an additional emission of 4,000 million metric tons of CO2 by 2030, an amount equivalent to the combined emissions of the EU and Japan for a year. The Energy Transitions Commission estimates that the actions of the Republican president could add 0.3 degrees to the global temperature rise and serve as an incentive for other countries to lower their climate commitments.