by Alex Onukwue

President Donald Trump, on Thursday, June 01, 2017, made the announcement that the United States would withdraw from the Climate Change Agreement reached at Paris in December 2015.

The announcement, which had been perceived as likely twenty-four hours earlier, had raised a global concern of the implications of what the consequences would be for the US and the world, both economically and socially. Leading publications from Bloomberg, to TIME magazine, featured articles on the costs of Mr Trump’s action.

Now, he has done it. But what does it really mean?

What IS The Paris Deal?

The immediate temptation is to describe the deal now in past tense, but it is only the US who have pulled out. The Paris deal was an International agreement between 190 nations aimed at getting countries to reduce their emissions i.e. the amount of pollution their fossil industries produced. Every country that committed to it would have to find ways to cut down reliance on fossil by diversifying to renewable energy. Scientific data have shown that global temperatures have risen every year over the past decades. The goal, in empirical terms, is to keep global temperature from rising above 1.5^oC, in comparison to pre-Industrial levels.

Sounds good? Yea,

Why then did he pull out?

In the thinking of Donald Trump, the deal implied that those who have oil and coal will have to bear “too many regulations” on how they can use those resources for their energy needs. His team defends their decision on the argument that it is an economically expensive deal for the US and will lead to “brown-outs and black-outs”, as well as loss of jobs for them – so they are happy with Trump.

But Pollution is a Big Problem, Yes?

Yes! Carbon pollution is a big problem, in the US but especially in the third world. America is, behind China, the second biggest polluter in the world and of the third world, so much that if every country produced as many emissions as they did, we would need three planets. It is the opinion of members of the global community that they have a responsibility to be part of the agreements that reduce the pollution.

What options are available now the US is out?

The overwhelming reaction by major world leaders and Industrial players has been of disappointment – even Exxon Chairman wanted Trump to stay in the deal – but not of despair. Trump’s reference to being elected by Pittsburgh not Paris was responded to with a statement by the Mayor of Pittsburgh that the city will keep to the Paris guidelines. Billionaire scientist, Elon Musk has withdrawn from two Presidential advisory councils and big players in the private sector like Google, Apple and Salesforce have all pledged to proceed with carbon-neutral innovations. New French President pledged forty-five minutes after Trump’s announcement to ‘Make Our Planet Great Again’.

It is to be hoped that China will show the leadership mantle of fulfilling their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) for the purpose of emission cuts, and investing more in renewable energy.