19 of 20 World Leaders Just Pledged to Fight Climate Change. Trump Was the Lone Holdout.
It is telling that on two of the most contentious topics at the Buenos Aires Group of 20 meeting, the United States eventually joined 19 other world leaders on trade, but when it comes to climate change, President Donald Trump remained firmly alone in his belief it is a hoax.
Two days of difficult negotiations at the G20 came to a close Saturday with a nonbinding six-page statement that attempts to defuse the brewing trade war between the United States and China by committing, vaguely, to reforming the World Trade Organization. “We recognize the contribution that the multilateral trading system has made,” the statement read. “The system is currently falling short of its objectives and there is room for improvement. We therefore support the necessary reform of the WTO to improve its functioning. We will review progress at our next Summit.”
On climate, though, Trump was the only holdout. While the communiqué affirms support for the Paris climate change agreement on the eve of the next round of climate talks in Poland, it includes a separate section for the United States: “The United States reiterates its decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and affirms its strong commitment to economic growth and energy access and security, utilizing all energy sources and technologies, while protecting the environment.”
Trump, of course, pledged in June 2016 to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, and the United States will officially stand alone in the world in rejecting climate action when Trump can fulfill that promise formally in 2020. In the meantime, the country remains a part of the United Nations climate negotiations, though now more often playing the spoiler role in talks.
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/12/trump-g20-climate-paris-accord-denial/
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