U.S. Submits Notification of Withdrawal from Paris Agreement [1]
On November 4, 2019, the United States officially submitted its notice to the United Nations that it intends to withdraw from the Paris Agreement [3]. In a statement [4] released by the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Pompeo indicated that President Trump made the decision to withdraw "because of the unfair economic burden imposed on American workers, businesses, and taxpayers by U.S. pledges made under the Agreement." He noted that the United States "will continue to work with our global partners to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change and prepare for and respond to natural disasters...and to research, innovate, and grow our economy while reducing emissions and extending a helping hand to our friends and partners around the globe." Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, parties can only withdraw after three years from the date on which the Agreement entered into force for that particular party. For the United States, the Agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016. Today was the first day that the United States was eligible to give its notice of withdrawal. The withdrawal will take effect in one year from the date of submission of its notice.