The US has formally left the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Future US participation in the international pact will depend on the outcome of the presidential election.
The United States formally left the Paris climate accord on Wednesday, becoming the first country in the world to withdraw from the international climate pact aimed at reigning in greenhouse emissions.
President Donald Trump's administration had notified the United Nations last year of the US withdrawal from the accord. The mandatory one-year waiting period required for it to exit ended on Wednesday.
The fate of the US participation in the Paris agreement now rests on the outcome of the presidential election.
Trump to keep US out, Biden wants back in
Trump, a staunch opponent of the international accord, had first announced his intention to withdraw the US from the landmark agreement in 2017, but the UN rules prevented countries from leaving in the first three years.
If Trump were to be reelected, the US — the world's largest economy and the second-biggest polluter after China — would stay out of the accord.
During his presidency, Trump has questioned climate science on multiple occasions, championed the fossil fuel industry, and weakened environmental protections.
His Democratic rival Joe Biden, in contrast, has vowed to immediately rejoin the Paris agreement if he wins the presidential election.
Biden has called climate change and global warming "an existential threat to humanity" and that the US has a "moral obligation to deal with it."
Biden has also proposed a $1.7 trillion plan to bring US carbon emission to net-zero by 2050.
'Make or break'
Regardless of how the election turns out, the United States will still be "outside the conversation" when the UK and the UN host a climate summit on December 12, on the fifth anniversary of the Paris accord.
Climate scientists have warned the unless drastic action is taken, global temperatures may rise more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, triggering a series of catastrophic climate tipping points by the end of the century.
This could be averted if global emissions reached net-zero by mid-century, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Dutch Climate Scientist Niklas Hohne backed Biden's plan in a tweet on Tuesday.
"This election could be a make or break point for international climate policy," he said. "Biden's climate plan alone could reduce temperature increase in the order of 0.1°C. Every tenth of a degree counts."
Latest Stories
-
PSG clinch Ligue 1 title after Lyon’s win over Monaco
45 mins -
Guinness Ghana sets the pace at Ghana Beverage Awards with six awards
1 hour -
Burkina Faso suspends BBC, VOA radio broadcasts over killings coverage
1 hour -
Nicole Kidman honoured with AFI Life Achievement Award
1 hour -
Brassier scores winner for Brest as they edge Rennes to secure European football
2 hours -
Ejisu by-election: Akufo-Addo jabs independent candidate; refutes allegations to rig elections
2 hours -
‘What are the real causes of the erratic power outages?’ GUTA demands from ECG
2 hours -
Implementing ESG framework in Ghana’s energy sector for sustainability
3 hours -
CAFCC: Dreams FC exit competition after 3-0 defeat in Kumasi
3 hours -
The detrimental effects of political interference on Ghana’s electricity sustainability
3 hours -
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s appointment as running mate intimidates the NPP – Benjamin Quashie
3 hours -
Black Stars physical trainer dead
3 hours -
Bawumia to kick off nationwide campaign for Election 2024 tomorrow
3 hours -
GUTA charges ECG to provide ‘dumsor’ timetable for businesses to plan
3 hours -
Reason for training professional counsellors is to heal a hurting world – CCP president
5 hours