“Disappointment” At USA Out Of Climate Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday [June 1] that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate accord, with Bermuda environmental organisation Greenrock saying that while they are still reflecting on the repercussions of the USA’s decision, their “initial thoughts are that of extreme disappointment.”

The deal, joined by all but two countries [Syria and Nicaragua] is a framework designed to keep global average temperatures from rising 2°C by the end of the century. To accomplish this goal, the agreement states that countries should strive to reach peak emissions as soon as possible. However, while 195 countries have agreed to this deal, there are no defined punishments for breaking it.

The accord also asks richer countries, like the US, to send aid to poorer countries. However, like the other provisions of the agreement, this is non-binding.

In a speech from the White House Rose Garden, Mr. Trump said: “In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord.” He added that withdrawing from this “draconian” deal “represents a reassertion of America’s sovereignty.”
Trump also said that he hoped to “begin negotiations to reenter either the Paris accord or really entirely new transition on terms that are fair to the United States.”

However, soon after the president’s speech the French President Macron, German Chancellor Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Gentiloni issued a joint statement saying: “We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible, and we firmly believe that the Paris agreement cannot be renegotiated since it is a vital instrument from out planet, societies and economies.”

When asked for comment, Greenrock Executive Director Jonathan Starling told Bernews, “We are still reflecting on the repercussions of the USA’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement. However, our initial thoughts are that of extreme disappointment. The Paris Agreement may not have been perfect – in the sense that there are those who think it doesn’t go far enough – however it does represent the best chance the world to date has at averting some of the worst impacts of human-caused global climate change.”

“The USA joins only Syria and Nicaragua in not being part of the Paris Agreement. Syria is in the midst of a brutal civil war and not able to devote attention to this right now, while Nicaragua isn’t a signatory because it decided the Paris Agreement wasn’t strong enough.”

“The scientific evidence for human actions driving global climate change is there. Now is the time for all of humanity to work together to address climate change, which is THE challenge of the 21st Century for our species. We are, however, glad to see that the rest of the world is rallying around the Paris Agreement, with the EU and China in particular taking leading positions to drive an even more ambitious plan. We are also glad to see that numerous cities and States in the USA are committing to the Paris Agreement, despite the decision at the Federal level.”

“For Bermuda, we have an ethical obligation, in our opinion, to take action on climate change, as well as the economic and social incentives to do so [such as reducing the outflow of hard currency through importing fossil fuels]. As an island in the middle of the sea we stand to be greatly impacted by climate change, be it through rising sea levels, the impact of ocean acidification on our coral reef defences, increased intensity of storm events and so on. We may not contribute all that much in terms of absolute contributions to greenhouse gases, however on a per capita level we are – we understand – one of the world’s worst offenders.”

“There is much that everyone in Bermuda can do to reduce their individual contributions to climate change – such as using public transport, walking or cycling rather than relying on private motor vehicles, growing your own food, switching to more energy efficient lights and appliances or installing renewable energy in our homes.”

“At a national level, the Government should be providing an aspirational regulatory and policy framework to ensure Bermuda is climate ready, as well as reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. This can be through both energy and transport policy, for example. We see the experience of the Climate Change Act 2008 in the UK, and the 2009 Climate Change [Scotland] Act, and perhaps it is time that Bermuda adopts something similar. The UK is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, and it is our understanding that Bermuda should be obligated under that as well.”

“It’s time for climate action now, and we hope that, just as world leaders, cities and US States are rallying around climate action initiatives, that we will see Bermuda, too, rally behind the call for climate action now.”

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Category: All, Environment, News