Democratic state governors, city mayors and powerful companies united Friday in defiance of President Donald Trump’s pledge to take the United States out of the Paris climate accord, drawing up plans to meet greenhouse gas emission targets regardless.
A majority of Americans in every state, or 69 percent of US voters, believe the United States should participate in the agreement, according to a recent opinion poll carried out by Yale University’s program on climate change communication.
The Republican leader’s announcement sparked swift condemnation from academics, captains of industry, Democratic political opponents and drew criticism from some Republicans, as small demonstrations erupted in New York and Washington.
New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg, also a UN envoy for climate change, pledged $15 million to support the agreement’s coordinating agency if necessary — the sum it stands to lose should the United States refuse to pay its share.
“Mayors, governors and business leaders from both political parties are signing onto a statement of support that we will submit to the UN — and together, we will reach the emission reduction goals the US made in Paris in 2015,” said Bloomberg.
“Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris agreement by leading from the bottom up — and there isn’t anything Washington can do to stop us,” he added in a statement released by his charitable foundation.
As part of the Paris deal the United States — the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter after China — pledged to reduce emissions that contribute to global warming by 26 percent, compared to 2005 levels, by 2025.
The Times reported that Bloomberg’s unnamed group so far includes 30 mayors, three governors, more than 80 university presidents and more than 100 businesses.
The Democratic-led states of California, New York and Washington pledged immediately after Trump’s announcement Thursday to uphold the global accord’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Eighty-three US mayors, who say they represent 40 million Americans, have also committed to uphold the Paris commitments, intensify efforts to meet climate goals and increase investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Several major US corporations, captains of industry and business groups urged Trump to honor the endangered agreement, with oil super majors ExxonMobil and Chevron among those reiterating their support for the accords.
While UN officials stress that it could take several years before there is a proper understanding of the implications of a US withdrawal, they also say the deal was structured to require action at multiple levels of government, not just federal.
If US cities and states follow through on their commitments, it is unlikely that the country as a whole will see zero implementation of the pact in real terms.
Jackie Biskupski, the Democratic mayor of Salt Lake City, confirmed that she had joined Bloomberg’s coalition of mayors, governors, CEOs and university leaders in sending a letter to UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa.
Last year Biskupski and Salt Lake City’s council committed to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2032 and an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
“We must lead where the White House refuses to. Cities are paving the path toward a livable future,” Biskupski said in a statement.
The governors of California, New York and Washington said they would work to sustain and strengthen existing climate programs, promote best practices, and implement new programs to reduce carbon emissions from all sectors of the economy.
The three states represent more than one-fifth of US gross domestic product and account for at least 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, the governors said.
In addition the governor of Hawaii pledged to continue concrete steps to implement the Paris accord, while governors of Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia committed to clean air and clean energy.
“The world cannot wait — and neither will we,” said the statement from 83 mayors.
“If the president wants to break the promises made to our allies… we’ll build and strengthen relationships around the world to protect the planet,” they said.
The earliest possible date for America’s official withdrawal from the Paris agreement is November 4, 2020 — the day after the next US presidential election — although Trump’s current term in office is not due to end until January 20, 2021.
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