Trump announced withdrawal from the 2016 deal to combat climate change. Here is a White House defence of the decision.

“Our government rushed to join international agreements where the United States pays the costs and bears the burdens while other countries get the benefit and pay nothing.” – President Donald J Trump

ALREADY THE WORLD’S ENERGY LEADER: The United States had already become the leader in cutting CO2 emissions while still leading in oil and gas production.

In the United States, energy related carbon dioxide emissions have significantly declined since before the Paris climate accord was negotiated, and will continue to decline as a share of worldwide emissions, particularly when compared to other nations such as China and India.

The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2017 Annual Energy Outlook reports that, from 2005 to 2016, energy related carbon dioxide emissions fell at an average annual rate of 1.4 percent.

Emissions are projected to continue to fall from 2016 to 2040.

Meanwhile, the EIA reports that emissions in the developing world are expected to double their 2005 levels by 2040.

According to recent US Energy Information Administration, the United States remained the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas combined.

The United States continues to be a world leader in energy, but increased competition from countries like China demonstrates the need for policies that enable America to compete on a global scale.

HARMFUL TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: The Paris Climate Accord could cost the United States economy millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic output over the next several decades.

According to an analysis by National Economic Research Associates (NERA), meeting President Obama’s commitment under the Paris Climate Accord would cost the United States nearly $3 trillion by 2040.

By 2040, the American economy could have 6.5 million fewer industrial sector jobs, including 3.1 million fewer manufacturing jobs.

Industries such as cement, iron and steel, coal, natural gas, and petroleum would be forced to cut production under president Obama’s Paris Climate Accord.

SHOULDERING THE BURDEN: Under the Paris climate accord, the United States would carry the burden while other countries would get the benefits.

Under the Obama administration, which signed an agreement without having to deal with the economic repercussions, the United States was committed to reducing CO2 emissions by between 26 and 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.

Meanwhile, China can continue to increase emissions for the next 13 years.

The United States already contributed $1bn to a UN Green Climate Fund. This would increase to $3bn under pledges made by the previous administration.

INEFFECTIVE: Even if every nation fully complied with the Paris climate accord, it would barely impact the climate.

According to researchers from MIT, if every nation that signed the Paris climate accord met all of their commitments until the end of the century, the impact on the climate would be negligible.

PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: President Trump is fulfilling his promise to the American people to stop international agreements that disadvantage the United States.

May 26, 2016, then-candidate Trump:

“President Obama entered the United States into the Paris climate accords – unilaterally, and without the permission of Congress.”

“So foreign bureaucrats are going to be controlling what we are using and what we are doing on our land in our country. No way.”