Trump's exit from Paris agreement: A step back on climate stage

On Monday, January 20, Donald Trump signed an order mandating that the United States once again withdraw from the Paris Agreement. He had previously made this decision in November 2019, and the USA's official withdrawal from the agreement took place a year later, in November 2020. However, the United States' absence was short-lived because, at the beginning of 2021, Joe Biden, who won the presidential election, decided that the USA would rejoin the agreement to fight global warming.

In 2015, about 200 countries belonging to the United Nations decided to join forces to protect the climate. Climatologists had previously warned that the last relatively safe threshold for global warming is 1.5°C, and exceeding it could have dramatic consequences for humanity. Therefore, the countries committed to reducing the average global temperature to below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels and striving for it to be no more than 1.5°C.

- The objectives of the Paris Agreement remain relevant, but the steps taken by the United States certainly do not help in this situation and bring us closer to exceeding the 2°C threshold compared to pre-industrial levels. This certainly brings a sense of pessimism, but I suggest we wait and see what actually happens - emphasised Prof. Bogdan Chojnicki in an interview with WP Tech.

- As experience teaches us, the world is not made up solely of the United States. Remember that in America's history, there have been plenty of failures that do not prove it is the only possible and trend-setting leader. Let's compare it to electric cars. It's not the case that if the United States backs out of electric cars, the idea will collapse because the USA does not always set the direction for global trends. There are far more connections and dependencies in the global world - added the expert.

Experts are already wondering what consequences Donald Trump's decision will bring for the United States. David Carlin pointed out in a Forbes article that by dropping out of the Paris Agreement, the USA is missing, among other things, the opportunity to shape the global climate agenda, thus leaving more room for China and the EU. There is also the risk of losing a significant position in the production of key technologies and products for renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind energy, which are becoming an increasingly viable source of electricity.

- Climate change has triggered certain processes, such as the production of devices for generating renewable energy, and the countries that have understood this direction are succeeding today. It is worth mentioning that a large portion of photovoltaic cells or wind turbines comes from China. It should be emphasised that change benefits those who understand it, but there are also those who have not noticed it and continue to function according to old, established patterns. If America does not properly interpret the current global reality, where climate change matters, it essentially places itself on the margins of overall global development - emphasised Prof. Chojnicki.

Climatologists warn that our future depends on the actions taken in the coming years, and indifference to climate change could cost us dearly. In the report "Climate Endgame: Exploring Catastrophic Climate Change Scenarios," published in 2022, researchers reminded us that climate change has already played a significant role in cases of mass extinction, helped bring down great empires, and shaped history.

Their future effects are difficult to predict, but many scenarios suggest a domino effect that will extend beyond extreme weather events. One of the report's authors, Luke Kemp from the University of Cambridge, noted that the changing climate could also lead to financial crises, conflicts, and new disease epidemics. These, in turn, could cause other problems and hinder the return to stability after potential disasters, such as armed conflicts.