In a victory for climate activists and environmental action, the United States has committed to rejoining the 2015 Paris climate accord. Although this is the easiest step in a long road of climate action ahead, the re-entry demonstrates to the US and the world that climate change is once again a top priority for the American government.
The new administration signed an executive order to rejoin the agreement on inauguration day(January 20, 2021). The move was greeted with excitement by domestic and international figures. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, “Welcome back to the Paris Agreement.”
The next steps for the US involve laying out ambitious emission reduction goals. The agreement stipulates that countries enhance plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions every five years. The US will also begin planning for the next UN climate summit which is scheduled to take place this November in Glasgow, Scotland.
