U.S. not crucial in fight against climate change – Paula Bennett

Over 300 US businesses have signed a statement calling on President-elect Donald Trump to support the Paris Agreement on climate change including General Mills, eBay, Intel, Unilever, and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies.

According to the report, there are three ways the US can “deeply decarbonize” the economy by 2050: to switch to a low-carbon energy system; to pull carbon dioxide out of the air through both natural methods such as reforestation and CO2 removal technologies; and to reduce non-carbon emissions such as methane and potent pollutants from refrigeration. We’ll be building stronger public infrastructure, supporting clean and affordable energy, strengthening disaster preparedness, and supporting low-carbon economic growth.

He said a number of countries had ratified the Paris Agreement since the USA election, including oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

The UK is poised to ratify the world’s first comprehensive agreement on tackling climate change. “What I will do is speak to the assembly about our efforts and what we’re engaged in and why we’re engaged in it, and our deep commitment as the American people to this effort”. We hope it is also a warning to the world’s most developed nations that the tides of the world’s climate will also be battering their most secure bastions.

Q: How much damage would it do to our standing worldwide?

I thank the COP Presidency, the Government of Morocco, for making this the “action COP” and using the programme to highlight examples of successful climate action.

China and the USA are the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases that are causing the earth’s temperatures to rise, according to United Nations data. Breaking a promise by pulling out of this agreement or by removing domestic regulations would profoundly erode global trust in an arena in which collective action and cooperation is crucial. Trump has also included a prominent climate contrarian, Myron Ebell, to his transition team.

“The U.S.is supposed to be the leader in raising this $100 billion”, said Lidy Nacpil of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice.

Q: How would it be harmful internally? He promised in May that he would cancel the US commitment to the pact and withdraw American funding for United Nations programs related to global warming.

He cited the remarkable growth of renewable energy markets as evidence of private capital committing to decarbonisation.

Trump has threatened to tear up the US commitment to the accord.

Q: How could it be damaging internally? The melting of glaciers is increasing the water level which can be unsafe to coastal areas around the world. Abandoning the climate agenda essentially equates to abandoning the physical security of Americans located in climate-vulnerable communities. “No nation will do well if it sits on the sidelines, handicapping its new business from reaping the benefits of a clean tech explosion”, he warned.

China, too, signed the agreement, and the two superpowers were joined by many other countries.

Activists at a protest in Marrakech call for environmental action.

Q: What is the mood in Marrakech? “Perhaps we will lose the trust from developing countries on other issues”.