On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords, an agreement that set the standard for global environmental initiatives. The Paris Accords were entered into effect on November 4, 2016 and included signatures from 194 different countries. The main aim for the agreement was to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and in doing so, decrease the temperature of the earth steadily.
The U.S. was a major contributor and driving force in the agreement, especially considering that the U.S. is the second largest emitter of carbon emissions behind China. Trump’s decision to withdraw from the agreement has been met with outrage and disappointment both domestically and internationally. Thirteen states have pledged to continue to follow the climate agreements and have formed the United States Climate Alliance in response.
At Washington University in St. Louis, Chancellor Mark Wrighton has released a statement that highlights the University’s stance on the president’s decision. The chancellor highlights the school’s continued investment in sustainability and in research into environmental issues, along with his disappointment in the United State’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords.
To read the chancellors full statement, follow this link to an article by The Source: https://source.wustl.edu/2017/06/statement-chancellor-wrighton-regarding-president-trumps-decision-withdraw-united-states-paris-climate-change-accord/
Article by Makio Yamamoto on 15 June 2017