Tue Jan 21 00:03:05 IST 2025: ## Trump Announces US Withdrawal from Paris Climate Accord, Launches “Drill, Baby, Drill” Energy Plan
**Washington D.C.** – In a dramatic reversal of US climate policy, President Donald Trump announced Monday the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, marking a second rejection of the international accord aimed at curbing global warming. Simultaneously, he declared a national energy emergency, signaling a significant expansion of oil and gas drilling and the scrapping of stricter vehicle emission standards.
The White House statement, released shortly after Trump’s inauguration, didn’t specify a timeline for the withdrawal, a process that takes a year following formal notification to the United Nations. This move, critics warn, severely undermines international efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and could embolden other major polluters like China and India to weaken their commitments. The announcement comes as global temperatures have exceeded the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold for the first time in two years, highlighting the urgent need for climate action.
Trump’s energy plan includes a renewed focus on domestic fossil fuel production, echoing his campaign slogan “Drill, baby, drill!” He vowed to end what he termed the “Green New Deal” (likely referring to the Inflation Reduction Act), revoke electric vehicle mandates, and boost the US oil and gas industry. This has been met with praise from energy industry leaders who see it as a return to “American energy dominance,” but condemnation from environmental groups who argue it ignores the escalating climate crisis.
The move is sharply criticized by climate advocates, particularly given the recent surge in catastrophic weather events, including devastating hurricanes and wildfires exacerbated by climate change. Laurence Tubiana, a key architect of the Paris Agreement, acknowledged the setback but expressed confidence in the resilience of multilateral climate action. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club expressed outrage, highlighting the irony of further expanding fossil fuel production while facing record-breaking extreme weather. The scientific consensus linking fossil fuel combustion to rising global temperatures remains overwhelming.
First Piper 