Host of United Nations climate talks asks Trump to show ‘pragmatism’

“It was fitting that on African soil it was the most vulnerable countries that showed the most leadership with their bold pledges to switch to 100 percent renewable energy as soon as possible”.

He declined to speculate what Trump might do, asserting that it’s in the USA interest to stick with Paris.

“This is a group of countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change, but they are not sitting back and complaining about being vulnerable”, Jennifer Morgan of Greenpeace said.

However, he added that “most analysts believe it will take additional government policies that Trump is highly unlikely to pursue to meet the sharper emissions cuts the US has pledged by 2025 under the Paris agreement”.

The 2015 Paris Agreement, more than 20 years in the making, won a renewed vote of confidence from governments from China to Saudi Arabia and companies who foresee a shift from fossil fuels towards solar and wind power as technology prices fall. As candidate, Donald Trump had pledged to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the political declaration was created to be a strong signal that world was firm on moving ahead with actions that would help transition to a low carbon and climate resilient pathway.

These countries put forward their vision to work with the worldwide community to limit warming to 1.5 degree Celsius and committed to some of the most ambitious climate actions to date – striving for 100 percent domestic renewable energy production by 2050 and protecting their citizens from the devastating effects of climate change by investing in adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.

He had also vowed to “cancel” the landmark agreement concluded a year ago to limit risky global warming.

Trump said during his campaign that he would “cancel” an worldwide agreement aimed at fighting climate change and withdraw American tax dollars from United Nations global warming programs.

Falling short in the fight against climate change would be a “moral failure, a betrayal of devastating consequences”, he said.

He said the CSOs were committed to continue placing climate change at the top of the political agenda and expressed gratitude to Mr Ban Ki-moon for his support in the struggle to reach breakthroughs and commitments by governments such as the Paris Agreement.

Trump who has called climate change a hoax, has vowed to rip up the Paris deal, halt USA taxpayer funding for United Nations global warming programmes and revive America’s coal industry.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has signed the Paris Agreement, which commits countries to limiting global temperature rises to “well below” 2C over pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to keep increases to 1.5C. We should wait, watch and see the situation.

Now, the question arises: does Trump still think climate change is a hoax?

“I am sure he will make a quick, wise decision”, said Ban, in a report from Aljazeera.

Speaking with Indian media here, the Minister said that though there were many attempts to drag the COP for various reasons, it did not happen and the negotiations moved forward on its track. “I hope he will really hear and understand the severity and urgency of addressing climate change”.