It looks like the US is poised to ditch the Paris climate accord, though there seems to be much up in the air about the particulars. Axios, for example, reports that President Trump has decided to withdraw, but adds that his team has yet to work out "whether to initiate a full, formal withdrawal—which could take 3 years—or exit the underlying United Nations climate change treaty, which would be faster but more extreme." The AP, meanwhile, says that while Trump is expected to withdraw, the wording may have "caveats" that leave open the possibility the decision won't be a final one. The White House has not made any official announcement. In a tweet Wednesday, Trump himself says the final decision is yet to come: "I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days."
Trump had promised to decide this week whether the US would abide by the 195-nation deal signed by former President Obama, and a letter signed by 22 GOP senators urging him to reject the pact reportedly swayed him. Withdrawing would unwind one of Obama's biggest initiatives on the environment, and Trump's own EPA chief, Scott Pruitt, has been advising him to scrap the deal. Steve Bannon is another fierce opponent, arguing that the deal's pollution-reduction targets would hurt the US. At the same time, business executives such as Exxon Mobil chief Darren Woods have been advising Trump to stick with the pact, notes the New York Times. Daughter Ivanka Trump also has been lobbying for the US to remain in the accord, fearful of the international backlash sure to follow a rejection. The only other nations that oppose the deal are Syria and Nicaragua. (More climate change stories.)
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