The messy reality of global warming

Washington

THERE was no need for President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement to achieve his goal of overturning the Obama administration's global warming policy. This had already occurred through court rulings and executive orders, which effectively halted higher vehicle fuel economy standards (up to 54.5 miles per gallon) and ended the Clean Power Plan programme, which pushed electric utilities to shift away from coal. Moreover, national commitments to slash emissions made in Paris are voluntary. Countries can modify or ignore them. There is no enforcement or penalty for missing targets.

Under the Paris accord, countries made these commitments based on their own circumstances and political judgment. The US pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2025. The European Union promised to reduce emissions by 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030. China said that its carbon dioxide (CO2) would peak by 2030 and that, by the same year, renewable fuels would represent about 20 per cent of its energy use.