The United States has initiated formal withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo announced on November 4, vowing that the country would continue to reduce emissions without compromising economic growth.
The United States is a world leader in reducing emissions. Between 2005 and 2017, U.S. net greenhouse gas emissions dropped 13 percent even as the U.S. economy grew by more than 19 percent, U.S. figures show.
This success is largely due to the development and deployment of innovative energy technologies, including nuclear energy, shale gas, transformational coal technologies, renewables, battery storage and enhanced energy efficiency.
“The United States has reduced all types of emissions, even as we grow our economy and ensure our citizens’ access to affordable energy,” Pompeo said. “We will continue to work with our global partners to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change and prepare for and respond to natural disasters.”
The withdrawal, formalized in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, follows through on President Trump’s June 1, 2017, pledge to leave the deal that he said unfairly burdens American businesses, workers and taxpayers while giving a free pass to other countries.
The move will take effect on November 4, 2020, one year after delivery of the withdrawal notification.
“Our air right now and our water right now is as clean as it’s been in decades,” Trump said in October 23 remarks to an energy sector conference.
By promoting affordable, reliable and clean energy, as well as energy efficiency, the U.S. is creating domestic jobs and supporting overseas market opportunities for U.S. companies.
“We’ve unleashed our energy companies to innovate and compete, and our carbon emissions have declined dramatically,” Pompeo said.