President Trump is right to get us out of the bad Paris climate accord: Sen. Barrasso Paris Agreement puts America at a competitive disadvantage: Opposing view

John Barrasso | Opinion contributor

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President Donald Trump is keeping his word and getting America out of a bad deal.

The poorly negotiated Paris climate accord imposed unfair, unworkable and unrealistic targets on the United States for reducing carbon emissions.

As the climate deal punished America’s energy producers with expensive and burdensome regulations, it gave other countries U.S. taxpayer-funded subsidies and generous timelines.

Countries like China got a free pass to pollute for over a decade. With abundant low-cost coal, China and India would put our manufacturers at a huge competitive disadvantage. Economic costs would be severe.

According to the National Economic Research Associates, if we met all of our commitments as part of the Paris climate agreement, it would cost the American economy $3 trillion and 6.5 million industrial sector jobs by 2040. We don’t need to cripple our economy to protect our environment.

America’s emissions actually continue to decline, and we are the world’s driver of innovative solutions. Since 2005, the United States has reduced its combustion-related carbon dioxide emissions more than any other nation in the world. Global emissions have moved in the opposite direction.

OUR VIEW: Trump leaves Paris Agreement because he knows better. Not.

Our reduction in emissions was largely from new and innovative technologies from the private sector — not international agreements or punishing regulations.

Groundbreaking research into carbon capture technologies and advanced nuclear reactors hold the key to continued emissions reductions.

American free-market innovation can address a changing climate.

We all want cleaner air, but the Paris climate agreement, and the regulations that would come with it, put America at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world.

This was a bad deal. The president is right to get us out of it.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works and a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations.

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