The United States Government, on Friday, officially rejoined the Paris Agreement, a concept adopted by members of the United Nations (UN) to address climate change.
According to the UN, about 189 countries joined the Agreement in 2015 to tackle climate change and its negative impacts across the world.
It added that “the deal aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius while pursuing means to limit the increase even further to 1.5 degrees.“
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But former United States president, Donald Trump, had in 2017 announced the country’s withdrawal from the pact on the grounds that it put the country in a “very big economic disadvantage” unfavourable to U.S. citizens.
Upon losing his second term bid to President Joe Biden in 2021, the current administration assured that the country would return to the agreement to lead in the “unprecedented framework for global action.”
A statement published by the U.S. Department of States said that “the United States officially becomes a Party again today.”
It added that, “Climate change and science diplomacy can never again be add-ons in our foreign policy discussions. Addressing the real threats from climate change and listening to our scientists is at the center of our domestic and foreign policy priorities. It is vital in our discussions of national security, migration, international health efforts, and in our economic diplomacy and trade talks.”
“We are reengaging the world on all fronts, including at the President’s April 22nd Leaders’ Climate Summit. And further out, we very much looking forward to working with the United Kingdom and other nations around the world to make COP26 a success.”