Trump would renegotiate landmark climate deal

Reuters quoted Trump as saying he was “not a big fan” of the landmark climate deal, and he would renegotiate it because it is unfair to the United States. The report said Trump believes the deal is biased in favor of China and other countries.

Many environmentalists are concerned about what a Trump presidency would mean for President Obama’s environmental legacy. A possible renegotiation of the Paris Agreement, the first-ever United Nations agreement on climate change, would be a major setback after years of work.

The pact among 196 countries allows each of them, voluntarily, to set emissions reductions targets that will be reviewed every five years starting in 2023. The United States has pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions between 26-28 percent over 2005 levels by 2030.

The agreement seeks to hold global temperature rise “well below” 2 degrees Celsius, about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, with an eye toward keeping it below 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Each country came up with its own plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which many scientists blame for driving manmade climate change. But the commitments are not legally binding, and critics say the deal lacks teeth.

The Paris Agreement also contains commitments from rich countries to send money to poorer countries for them to develop more clean energy sources. Those financial commitments are also not legally binding.

Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, said Trump wouldn’t be able to stop the Paris Agreement, but his statement was concerning regardless.

“This is another example of Trump’s dangerous lack of judgment and the very real impacts it could have for all of us,” he said. “Trump now not only denies the science of climate change, but also the politics and economics of it. America’s leadership in Paris has put the world on the path to a clean energy future that will create jobs and save lives both in the U.S. and around the world.”