Paris conference: Despite Donald Trump's absence, alternative US delegation take over spotlight
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Nov 12, 2017, 10.27 PM IST
The UN-sponsored climate conference currently underway is the first formal meeting after US President Donald Trump announced the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. While the official US delegation has been relatively low key, the “alternative US delegation” comprising states, cities and businesses has taken over the spotlight. With California Governor Jerry Brown, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg leading the effort, this group is sending out a clear message that they will continue to act in order to meet the goals set out in the Paris Agreement.
“If Washington won’t lead, then mayors and governors will,” said former New York City Mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg.
The terms of the Paris Agreement, which came into force in November 2016 just ahead of the US Presidential elections, however are that no country can withdraw from the treaty in the first three years, and under the the formal process of withdrawal, it would take another year before the request is final. This makes the United States aparty to the Paris Agreement till 2020, and thus a party to the ongoing negotiations.
Ahead of the climate summit there was a great deal of interest in the stance that the US delegation would take in these talks. So far the US has been relatively low key, broadly sticking to their negotiation positions under the Obama Administration. Observers said the continuity could be explained by the fact that Trump administration has not developed a policy formulation of the issue given that it has made clear that the agreement adopted in Paris is in their view unfair to the US.
The policy vaccum observers suggest has meant that the official negotiators stick to their stated positions. “The US negotiators are less vocal than in the past,” said a veteran negotiator. However, the US has articulated its view on issues like the demand for the inclusion of pre-2020 actions in the ormal agenda of the talks, the provision of finance to address climate action, and the demand to provide formal space for discussions on issues like loss and damge in the climate talks.
But it is a more vocal US that is making itself heard just a scant 500 metres away from the Bula Zone, where the climate negotiations are underway. In an nearly 30,000 square feet tent, representatives from the states in the US, cities, and business are telling the workd that they are “still in” the Paris Agreement.
This coalition, “we are still in” unveiled its plans to meet the commitments the US made under the Paris Agreement. On Saturday, California Governor Jerry Brown and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a report, America’s Pledge that details how city and state governments along with businesses would contribute to the Paris goal of slowing down global warming.
"The American government may have pulled out of the Paris agreement, but the American people are committed to its goals, and there is nothing Washington can do to stop us," said Bloomberg.
The group comprises 20 states, 110 cities and more than 1,300 businesses. Together they account for 2.7 giga tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The US accounts for 6.3 giga tonnes and India 2.9 gigatonnes.
Stressing that the group is representative of a swathe of the US population, Bloomberg points to the fact that they account for 182 million americans, that is 56% of the population, 40% of the country’s emissions, and represent an economy that is estimated at $11.2 trillion or 60% of total US GDP.
“If this group were a country, we’d be the third-biggest economy in the world. We should have a seat at the table,” Bloomberg said.
However questions dog this spirited effort. While there is no doubt that these entities will take measures to slow down temperature increase, there are concerns that commitments for financial support made by the US government will remain unfulifilled.
“If Washington won’t lead, then mayors and governors will,” said former New York City Mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg.
The terms of the Paris Agreement, which came into force in November 2016 just ahead of the US Presidential elections, however are that no country can withdraw from the treaty in the first three years, and under the the formal process of withdrawal, it would take another year before the request is final. This makes the United States aparty to the Paris Agreement till 2020, and thus a party to the ongoing negotiations.
Ahead of the climate summit there was a great deal of interest in the stance that the US delegation would take in these talks. So far the US has been relatively low key, broadly sticking to their negotiation positions under the Obama Administration. Observers said the continuity could be explained by the fact that Trump administration has not developed a policy formulation of the issue given that it has made clear that the agreement adopted in Paris is in their view unfair to the US.
The policy vaccum observers suggest has meant that the official negotiators stick to their stated positions. “The US negotiators are less vocal than in the past,” said a veteran negotiator. However, the US has articulated its view on issues like the demand for the inclusion of pre-2020 actions in the ormal agenda of the talks, the provision of finance to address climate action, and the demand to provide formal space for discussions on issues like loss and damge in the climate talks.
But it is a more vocal US that is making itself heard just a scant 500 metres away from the Bula Zone, where the climate negotiations are underway. In an nearly 30,000 square feet tent, representatives from the states in the US, cities, and business are telling the workd that they are “still in” the Paris Agreement.
This coalition, “we are still in” unveiled its plans to meet the commitments the US made under the Paris Agreement. On Saturday, California Governor Jerry Brown and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a report, America’s Pledge that details how city and state governments along with businesses would contribute to the Paris goal of slowing down global warming.
"The American government may have pulled out of the Paris agreement, but the American people are committed to its goals, and there is nothing Washington can do to stop us," said Bloomberg.
The group comprises 20 states, 110 cities and more than 1,300 businesses. Together they account for 2.7 giga tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The US accounts for 6.3 giga tonnes and India 2.9 gigatonnes.
Stressing that the group is representative of a swathe of the US population, Bloomberg points to the fact that they account for 182 million americans, that is 56% of the population, 40% of the country’s emissions, and represent an economy that is estimated at $11.2 trillion or 60% of total US GDP.
“If this group were a country, we’d be the third-biggest economy in the world. We should have a seat at the table,” Bloomberg said.
However questions dog this spirited effort. While there is no doubt that these entities will take measures to slow down temperature increase, there are concerns that commitments for financial support made by the US government will remain unfulifilled.
