Reactions to the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement

IGES Climate and Energy Area has gathered responses and comments from national and local governments, international organisations, leading companies/industry associations, NGOs, think tanks, etc. on the decision of the US to withdraw from the Paris Agreement announced by President Donald J. Trump on 1 June 2017 and compiled them into one tabulated list (it does not cover all the reactions and comments across the world, and the analysis below is within the scope of the list). 



The list can be accessed here: Reactions to the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement 



At the national level, comments came not only from developed countries such as G7 countries, Australia and New Zealand but also emerging countries such as China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Latin American countries. Almost all countries expressed their "disappointment" or “regret” against the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and stated that they would continue their commitments to the climate actions under the Paris Agreement regardless of the US decision. According to the press, Russian President Vladimir Putin said "I wouldn’t start to condemn President Trump" and Polish deputy minister of energy commended President Trump’s decision, but there is no country which supported the US decision in their official statements. 

Out of 50 states in the US, 16 states are against the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, with all of those states representing 22% of US greenhouse gas emissions and about 40% of US Gross Domestic Product (GDP). On the contrary, there is no US state that supports the decision. 

Many leading companies, including energy and material-related companies, and industry associations including influential associations in Japan, Germany and the UK, expressed their "disappointment" and "regret" against the US decision, while indicating their support to the Paris Agreement, its emission reduction targets, and continuous commitments on climate actions. As a background to this, companies see climate change as a reality, and climate actions as investment opportunities. On the other hand, US coal industries expressed support for the decision by the Trump administration, but conversely there are no other companies that supported the decision other than them. 

Overall, there was no opinion that the US decision would cause the Paris Agreement to collapse nor that it would cause climate actions to be delayed. Also, a number of statements are using the phrase "decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement" rather than "withdraw from the Paris Agreement", which accurately reflects the situation that the US will not withdraw from the Paris Agreement immediately. 

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