Interpreting the United States Return to the Paris Agreement
Local climate activists around the world rejoiced on the first day of Biden’s term. The new president issued an executive order to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. This act shows his commitment to re-establishing the nation as a global leader regarding the climate crisis. The president has ambitious goals, including putting the US on a path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But no man is an army, and the US will need to implement a series of aggressive domestic climate policies and new legislation from Congress for the United States to reach its goals. Will the United States legislators follow Biden’s lead in passing climate-related legislation? And how much good will that do?
A Step Backwards
In December of 2015, 196 countries signed the first global agreement aimed at reducing emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. At the core of the Paris Agreement was the idea that every country, rich or poor, would set goals to curb carbon emissions to slow down the effects of climate change. The Paris Agreement was a monumental milestone in the global fight against climate change.
With a long-term objective to achieve a climate-neutral world by mid-century, the agreement allows each country to set its emission-reduction targets, known as a national determined contribution (NDCs). Although the United States was instrumental in the design and negotiation of the Paris Agreement, it became the only nation to withdraw from the agreement, under the Trump administration. The decision was wildly unpopular among environmentalists and activists.
The US shocked the world with its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under Donald Trump.
In 2017, as a signal to the world that the United States would still honor its commitment, the “We Are Still In” declaration was announced. More than 3,600 leaders from America’s cities, states, tribes, businesses, colleges, and universities signed in to say that they would continue to support climate action to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement. One of the governing bodies of the We Are Still in declaration is the U.S. Climate Alliance, composed of 25 states, seeks to continue pursuing the climate goals on a state level.
When the Obama administration entered the Paris Agreement, the US pledged to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. Four years later, if Biden wants to meet this goal, he will need to introduce drastic measures that can turn this long term goal into short-term policy. To do so, he will need the help of broad organizations like the U.S. Climate Alliance, and frontline organizations like Earth Law Center.
Local communities must be involved in building strategy to protect their lands. Image credit: Wilderness Society
Local Policy that Works
Policy changes on a national scale will be difficult to realize if local communities do not have the resources needed to make changes. A national government ambitiously acting to save the planet certainly sets the tone for change, but it’s been shown again and again that local action works best.
Earth Law Center and other leading practitioners released a Community Toolkit for Rights of Nature to guide local governments in harmonizing their environmental programs with the needs of Nature. If you’re a local climate activist or just someone concerned about your hometown environment, our Community Toolkit is a great way to join the movement and make a positive change for the planet. Your local river, mountain, prairie, or public park is counting on you!
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