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President Trump signed an executive order on Monday evening that officially begins the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
The newly inaugurated president signed the order at an inauguration event at Washington’s Capital One Arena, following a memo earlier in the day that confirmed it would be one of his first executive actions. Trump also pulled the US out of the deal in his first term, ending the process in 2020 only for former President Biden to re-enter the deal in his first year in office.
The multi-year process, when completed, will make the United States one of the few countries not a party to the deal, along with Iran, Libya and Yemen. The non-binding agreement includes a commitment among members to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, the main cause of climate change, to avoid warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
Pulling out of the deal was expected to be one of Trump’s first actions in office, which is expected to focus largely on energy and environmental policy. Trump has promised to undo a number of Biden’s climate moves, including restrictions on offshore drilling on the East and West coasts. The new president has also said he will take steps to block new approvals for offshore wind projects and undo the Biden administration’s freeze on new liquefied natural gas exports.
Trump’s initial actions are largely the reverse of Biden’s first days as president, which saw him re-enter the Paris accord, block approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and announce a temporary pause in new leases of oil and gas on public lands.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, condemned the order in a statement late Monday.
“Actions speak louder than words, and the actions Trump took today will forever be remembered as the opening salvo of a presidency dedicated to corporate greed, environmental destruction, and the reckless worsening of the climate crisis.” Huffman said.
