Washington: The US has formally notified the UN of its withdrawal from the 2015 Paris climate accord, a landmark global agreement which brought together 188 nations, including India, to combat global warming.
The Paris Agreement, in which Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi played instrumental roles, was adopted at the UN climate conference “COP 21” held in 2015 with an aim to reduce the hazardous greenhouse gas emissions.
Although Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the historic agreement on June 1, 2017, the process began on Monday with the formal notification and the US will be out of the pact on November 4, 2020. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he has submitted a formal notice to the United Nations.
“Today, the United States began the process to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Per the terms of the agreement, the United States submitted formal notification of its withdrawal to the United Nations. The withdrawal will take effect one year from delivery of the notification,” Pompeo said in a statement.
A spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General in New York said the US has notified the secretary-general, in his capacity as depositary, of its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement of December 12, 2015 on November 4, 2019.
The US had signed the Paris Agreement on April 22, 2016 and expressed its consent to be bound by the agreement by acceptance on 3 September 2016.
“In accordance with the provisions of its article 28, paragraph 1, the US could withdraw from the Paris Agreement as from today by giving written notification to the Secretary-General,” the UN spokesperson said. Pompeo said the US approach incorporates the reality of the global energy mix and uses all energy sources and technologies cleanly and efficiently, including fossils fuels, nuclear energy and renewable energy.
The US will continue to work with its global partners to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change and prepare for and respond to natural disasters, Pompeo added. (PTI)
