THE Philippines is a small contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Our share is only about 0.30 percent of the world’s total, quite insignificant yet we are a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Even if President Duterte stood his ground and did not honor the pact, it would hardly make a dent on global climate change efforts. But what if a major emitter of global warming gas refuses to honor its commitments in the agreement? Will it spell doom for mother earth?
World leaders, scientists and environmentalists were shocked when President Donald Trump withdrew his country’s support to the Paris treaty. The United States is the second biggest emitter of global warming gas next to China. Based on 2010 figures from the World Resources Institute, the US emitted 15.6 percent of the world’s total next to China’s 22.7 percent. These top two emitters both ratified the agreement on September 03, 2016.
True to his "America First" policy, President Trump withdrew from the Paris accord because of what he said are the ‘draconian financial and economic burdens’ the agreement imposes on the US. “The Paris climate accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States, to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers, who I love, and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories and vastly diminished economic production,” he said.
World leaders immediately reacted to President Trump’s move. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said, “We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible, and we firmly believe that the Paris agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies.”
In a televised address in French and English, Macron said that Trump had “committed an error for the interests of his country, his people and a mistake for the future of our planet”. Japan’s environment minister, Koichi Yamamoto, said: “It’s as if they’ve turned their back on the wisdom of humanity.”
Not all Americans however share President Trump’s stand. According to news reports, there are about 30 mayors, three governors, more than 80 university presidents and more than 100 businesses who still want to honor the Paris climate accord. Corporate giants like Disney, General Electric, Exxonmobil and Chevron maintains their support for the Paris deal.
Technically, President Trump cannot just walk away because the Climate Change Agreement states that no country can withdraw within three years of it coming into force, and the process of withdrawal takes a further year to complete. That means the United States cannot complete withdrawal from the Paris Agreement before November 05, 2020.
So what now?