Thoughts on the US Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement

It has been just over three weeks since Biden signed the executive order that led to the U.S. rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. As a 21-year-old who hopefully has a long future ahead of her, it is a relief to finally see initiative being taken to combat climate change on a federal level. 

When it was announced in 2017 that the U.S. would be withdrawing from the agreement, I was angry, frustrated and confused. The Paris Climate Agreement (PCA) was a huge step in the fight against climate change. While some might say that it was largely symbolic, it was a comforting symbol. It indicated widespread acknowledgement of climate change and a pledge to combat it. It was a step forward. The U.S.’s withdrawal felt like multiple steps back. 

Luckily, we are back in it. Personally, I am hopeful that this will start a new wave of activism and action surrounding sustainability and conservation efforts. The US has the second highest greenhouse gas emissions, so our actions have a lot of potential to influence global emissions.

As you can tell, I’m very glad that we have rejoined the PCA. However, that doesn’t mean I think it is perfect. Or enough. Greenhouse gas emissions are still increasing, along with global temperatures. While the agreement put in place goals, we can’t be sure that we will actually reach those goals. I also don’t think it’s doing enough about the fact that the countries who have contributed the least to climate change tend to be the ones most affected by it. Countries like Bangladesh are being threatened by rising sea levels that could take away millions of homes, yet they contribute to a small fraction of global emissions. 

Acknowledging the shortcomings of the agreement is important, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t appreciate its accomplishments. It helped to normalize the movement towards sustainability. While the progress that has been made since 2015 can’t be entirely credited to the PCA, I think it’s safe to say that it played a role. I’ve seen significantly more companies make pledges to reduce their carbon emissions and sustainable energy alternatives are becoming increasingly more prevalent. Each step I see makes me excited about our future’s potential. 

While the Paris Climate Agreement was a good first step, I hope there is much more to come.