US Climate Policy: One year from announcement of Paris Agreement withdrawl

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Europe

02:53

Exactly one year ago, President Trump announced his intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change. It's made the United States an international outlier. But many U.S. states and businesses have stepped up their commitments. From Washington, Daniel Ryntjes reports.

One year ago, U.S. President Donald Trump entered the White House Rose Garden and withdrew the U.S. from the UN climate pact.

"So we're getting out "

The U.S. can't technically withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement until November 4th, 2020.

But just a few days after his announcement last year, Trump provided a video message at the opening of the Acosta coal mine in Pennsylvania, pledging to "Make Coal Great Again."

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "We have withdrawn the United States from the horrendous Paris climate accord."

One of the architects of the Paris climate deal was Todd Stern. He was the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change under President Obama.

TODD STERN FORMER US SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE "The whole sense of things from the senior levels of the Trump administration is to be not interested in climate change and to not intending to stay in Paris, so that has a very damaging impact."

The United States has stopped contributing to the Green Climate Fund, designed to help developing countries respond to the climate change challenges.

But over the past year, a coalition of 17 U.S. state governors has formed, including those from California, New York, and Virginia. This "United States Climate Alliance" is working to maintain many other Paris commitments.

When combined, they represent 40% of the U.S. population, an economic block larger than all other countries, except the U.S. and China.

ANGELA NAVARRO DEPUTY SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND TRADE, STATE OF VIRGINIA "The importance of the work that the states are doing has only been amplified since the announcement. It gave us kind of a galvanizing point and there's so much excitement at the state level in terms of investing in our green energy economy, growing new businesses around resiliency."

Many large American corporations have also signed up to a coalition named "We Are Still In," that continues to abide by the 2015 climate pact, including a firm that has now become the largest private consumer of renewable energy, Google.

When President Trump announced the withdrawal, the response from climate activists was instantaneous.

DANIEL RYNTJES WASHINGTON "One year later, many U.S. states, corporations, and individuals have demonstrated that they are determined to fill the void. Daniel Ryntjes, CGTN, Washington."