The United States formally returned to the Paris climate agreement on Friday. Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken reported this in a press release. President Joe Biden signed a decree on January 20, as one of his first actions as president, to join the United States after his predecessor Donald Trump left it in 2017.
The Paris Agreement is an unprecedented framework for global action. We know this because we co-designed it and brought it to life, ”Blinken says in the press release.“ The goal is simple and comprehensive at the same time: to help all of us avoid catastrophic global warming and build global resilience to the impact of the climate crisis we are already experiencing today. ”
“Climate change and science diplomacy should never be additions to our foreign policy discussions,” says Blinken. “Addressing real threats and listening to our scholars are at the heart of our domestic and foreign policy priorities.”
Trump left the climate agreement in 2017 because it would be harmful to the US economy and because countries like China and India would not do enough for the climate.
The United States was the only country out of 196 that signed the climate agreement in 2016, which was sealed again as well. It didn’t officially happen until November of last year, and in the meantime the United States rejoined.
President Biden has made fighting global warming one of his priorities. Former Secretary of State named John Kerry as the special climate envoy, and on April 22, Biden will host world leaders at the Climate Summit. The United States will also work with the United Kingdom and other countries to make the COP26 climate summit a success.
