As promised, on the first day he took office US President Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement via an executive order. In his inaugural address he said that the planet itself is crying for survival and vowed to make fighting climate change on his top priorities.
The International Hydropower Association (IHA) welcomes the new US administration’s decision to recommit to the Paris Agreement on climate change. In a statement, Eddie Rich, Chief Executive of IHA, said: “What a great signal to see President Biden, in one of his first acts, return to the Paris Agreement. This shows this administration’s clear commitment to tackling climate change, prioritizing the energy transition and driving a green recovery.”
Helen Mountford, Vice President, Climate and Economics at the World Resources Institute said that the move signals that “it’s a new day for US engagement on climate change.”
Andrea McGimsey, senior director for Environment America’s Global Warming Solutions campaign, issued the following statement:
“By rejoining the Paris Agreement on day one, President Biden is sending a crystal clear signal to all Americans and to the world that the United States will once again lead when it comes to solving the climate crisis. By prioritizing this critical international commitment, the president is proving he’s listening to his constituency as more than 60 percent of Americans say they want their government to take climate change seriously.”
The central aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius. By ratifying the accord, countries agree to publicly submit plans for how they will cut carbon emissions. You can view the full text of the Paris Agreement here.
Today 189 countries have ratified the agreement and only six are not part of it, including Turkey, Iran, Eritrea, Libya, South Sudan and Yemen. The U.S. is the only country to have ratified the agreement only to exit it at a later date and then rejoin again.
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