Today, President Trump notified the United Nations of his intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Please see below for a statement from Corporate Accountability Climate Campaign Director Sriram Madhusoodanan.
“For decades, the U.S. government has done the bidding of Big Polluters like Exxon and Shell — using bullying and intimidation to undermine and block urgently needed international climate policy. Today’s announcement will have far-reaching implications for people and the planet and it continues a particularly shameful chapter of U.S. climate policy at the national and international levels. Importantly, this decision will still allow the U.S. to negotiate at the UNFCCC, leaving the door open for it to continue to undermine and weaken global climate policy.
“One of the primary benefactors of this decision will be the fossil fuel industry, which will try to appear ‘progressive’ in comparison to Trump and roll out its slick PR schemes to position itself as a key player in the U.N. climate negotiations . All the while, behind the scenes it will continue to spend millions of dollars to bankroll climate-change-denying U.S. politicians and undermine national and international climate policy.
“But, the Trump administration cannot stop the transformation underway. Around the globe, people, cities and states are standing up and demanding that those most responsible for the climate crisis be held accountable. The fossil fuel industry is on trial–from Exxon in New York and Massachusetts to Shell in the Netherlands. In the U.S., democratic Presidential candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are calling for fossil fuel corporations and their CEOs to be held liable.
“This move is just the latest embarrassment to come from this administration. In December at COP25, the U.S. cannot be allowed to continue to undermine the Paris Agreement all while planning it’s exit altogether from the agreement. It’s time the U.S. be seen as the bad faith negotiator that it is.”
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