Climate at the G20: Six Degrees of U.S. Isolation

The latest G20 documents illustrate how far the Trump administration's climate change views are from those of the rest of the world.

Why did the United States remain aloof last week from the climate change and energy policy declaration that was agreed to by the rest of the Group of 20 major economies?  Because on almost every fundamental point involving turning the Paris climate agreement into action, the Trump administration is traveling in the opposite direction from the rest of the world.

Here are six examples of how U.S. policies lie askew of the course preferred by "the other G20 members," as the 19 leaders called themselves in reaffirming that "the Paris Agreement is irreversible."  That left the U.S. alone in a recalcitrant footnote, where it "continues to reserve its position on this document and its contents."

Why did the United States remain aloof last week from the climate change and energy policy declaration that was agreed to by the rest of the Group of 20 major economies?  Because on almost every fundamental point involving turning the Paris climate agreement into action, the Trump administration is traveling in the opposite direction from the rest of the world.

Here are six examples of how U.S. policies lie askew of the course preferred by "the other G20 members," as the 19 leaders called themselves in reaffirming that "the Paris Agreement is irreversible."  That left the U.S. alone in a recalcitrant footnote, where it "continues to reserve its position on this document and its contents."

The need for increased ambition
Climate change is "already noticeably impacting global ecosystems, economies, and societies. This puts at risk past and future progress," the group statement declared. No one will escape, but "poor and vulnerable people will be disproportionately affected."

They all recognized that nations need to come up with more ambitious strategies for lowering emissions by mid-century and beyond.  Their declaration reaffirmed this heightened ambition.

They straightforwardly endorsed the key goal of the Paris Agreement: to avoid the biggest risks of climate change by keeping global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times while striving for no more than 1.5 degrees warming.  And they agreed with the concept, which U.S. President Donald Trump rejects, that different circumstances mean each country should follow its own path toward that goal—what's known as "common but differentiated responsibilities."

Trump's America-first approach refuses either to acknowledge the current target or to set forth a path toward higher ambition.  Its path ahead is one of backsliding.

The economic benefits of climate action
The G20's statement makes a point of declaring that sustainable development and addressing the climate crisis go hand in hand.  Together, they offer "significant opportunities for modernizing our economies, enhancing competitiveness, stimulating employment and growth and ensuring socio-economic benefits of increased energy access."

Strikingly, the leaders cited a new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) entitled "Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth."  It found that if the world links development and climate targets into an integrated whole, worldwide GDP could be 5 percent higher in 2050 than it would be otherwise.

When OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria presented the report, he said:  "There is no economic excuse for not acting on climate change, and the urgency to act is high."

Read more at Climate at the G20:  Six Degrees of U.S. Isolation