Statement of Kaveh Guilanpour
Vice President for International Strategies, C2ES
January 20, 2025 

On the U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

“It is deeply regrettable that the United States has signaled its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement once more. In doing so, the United States will join a tiny club of countries outside of the global consensus.

“There is no sugar-coating this—it will be harmful to global efforts to combat climate change, and so ultimately, also harmful to the future prosperity and security of U.S. citizens. The recent horrific impacts in California show the imperative to accelerate climate action.

“At the same time, the world has been here before, and the Paris Agreement on climate change has proven effective and resilient, even in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal under the first Trump Administration.

“With COP29 finalizing the Paris Agreement’s ‘rulebook,’ the international climate regime is now entering a post-negotiating era. In that context, U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is less consequential than the first time.

“The reality remains that unless the world collectively steps up its efforts, the impacts of climate change will become increasingly severe and frequent, and will be felt by an increasing number of people in all countries, including in the United States.

“The reality also remains that effectively addressing climate change presents economic opportunities for those willing to seize the moment, and acting early will save money in the long run.

“The reality is that there is no prosperous or safe high-carbon future for anyone.

“Experience has shown that the United States engages constructively with countries on other multilateral agreements to which it is not a party. Hopefully the new U.S. administration will choose to do the same in relation to the Paris Agreement.”

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