The US administration is looking into ways to stay in the Paris agreement to fight climate change “under the right conditions”, offering to re-engage in the international accord three months after President Donald Trump said that the United States would withdraw from the 195-nation agreement. In announcing the pullout at the White House earlier in June, Mr. Trump said he was ready to “begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or an – really entirely new transaction – on terms that are fair to the US, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers. So we’re getting out, but we will start to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal that’s fair,” and added that “if we can, that’s great. And if we can’t, that’s fine.”
During a climate-change meeting over the weekend in Montreal attended by more than 30 ministers led by Canada, China and the European Union, the US officials broached revamping US climate goals, which may signal a potential compromise that would keep the US at the table even though it would likely mean its weaker international engagement. On Sunday (17 September), US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that President Trump is “open to finding those conditions where we can remain engaged with others on what we all agree is still a challenging issue.” He added that in his opinion the emissions targets under the accord were “really out of balance” for the US and China.
A number of participants at the Montreal gathering said that White House would likely significantly reduce the US’ ambition to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. “The US has stated that they will not renegotiate the Paris accord, but they will try to review the terms on which they could be engaged under this agreement,” European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said. “We are pleased the US continues to engage and recognize the economic opportunity of clean growth, including clean energy,” added Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna.
