Techuk environmentglobal warminguk climate change

Donald Trump Must Respect The Paris Climate Agreement, Hollande Warns

Tump has said he wants to withdraw the US from the pact.
Open Image Modal
By 

Tech reporter

|

French President Francois Hollande has urged Donald Trump, US president-elect, to respect America’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. 

During the election campaign, Trump promised to withdraw the US from the treaty if he was elected.

He is now seeking ways to fast track the US’s exit from the pact, according to a Reuters report.

But speaking at climate talks in Marrakech, Hollande warned that the agreement was irreversible “in law and in fact”:

“The US, the largest economic power in the world, and the second largest greenhouse gas emitter, must respect the commitments they have undertaken. It is not only their duty but in their interest as well.”

Open Image Modal
Youssef Boudlal / Reuters

The Marrakesh meeting was organised to celebrate the Paris Climate Agreement coming in to force and to discuss how it would be implemented.

But the meeting has been derailed by Trump’s election, with delegates instead focusing on the US’s participation.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said he hoped Trump would make a “good and wise decision” to honour the US’s commitments, adding:

“The global unity around climate change once seemed to be unthinkable and now it has become unstoppable.

“I hope that President-elect Trump will really hear and understand the seriousness and urgency of addressing climate change.”

Trump once tweeted that the concept of global warming was a conspiracy orchestrated by the Chinese to make US manufacturing non-competitive. 

The Ocean
Ho New / Reuters
2016 ocean temperatures were above normal across the board. Caused by a combination of El Niño and global warming resulted in catastrophic coral bleaching across the Great Barrier Reef. Coral mortality was as high as 50 per cent in some parts of the reef.
The Arctic
NASA NASA / Reuters
Arctic sea ice levels were well below normal this year. The seasonal minimum in September was 4.14 million square kilometres, the equal-second (with 2007) lowest extent on record after 2012. The winter maximum in March was the lowest on record.
Heatwaves
Amit Dave / Reuters
There were a number of major heatwaves during 2016. The year started with an extreme heatwave in southern Africa. Many stations set all-time records, including 42.7°C at Pretoria and 38.9°C at Johannesburg on 7 January.
Wildfires
Handout . / Reuters
The most damaging wildfire in Canadian history occurred in May in the city of Fort McMurray in Alberta. The fire ultimately burned an area of about 590,000 hectares and was Canada’s most costly natural disaster. It led to the total evacuation of the city and ultimately destroyed 2,400 buildings.
Air Pollution
Manish Swarup/AP
Annual average global carbon dioxide concentrations in 2015 reached 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time. Initial observations indicate new records in 2016. At Cape Grim (Australia), CO2 levels in August averaged 401.42 ppm, compared with 398.13 ppm in August 2015.
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip