US Withdraws from Paris Agreement Aiming to Limit Climate Change

The United States officially withdrew from the Paris Agreement to fight climate change on Wednesday. Leaders from around the world approved the agreement in 2015 at a conference in the French capital.

For more than two years, American President Donald Trump¹ talked about withdrawing from the treaty. Last year, the Trump administration announced the U.S. decision to withdraw. However, the results of the presidential election could decide for how long. Trump's main opponent in the vote, former Vice² President Joe Biden, has promised to rejoin the climate agreement if he is elected.

More than 180 countries remain committed to the 2015 Paris accord. The agreement aims to limit the increase in average temperatures worldwide to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius³, and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Those increases are compared to temperature levels before Europe's Industrial Revolution.

Scientists say that any temperature increase greater than 2 degrees Celsius could have a disastrous⁴ effect on large parts of the world. Such an increase, they say, could raise sea levels, fuel powerful storms and worsen droughts and floods.

The Paris accord requires countries to set their own targets for cutting production of carbon dioxide and other gases linked to rising temperatures. The only legal requirement is that national governments must truthfully report on their efforts.

The United States is the world's second biggest producer of heat-trapping gases, after China. In recent weeks, China, Japan and South Korea have joined the European Union (EU) and other countries in setting national targets to stop pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Biden, the Democratic Party's candidate for president, has said he supports calls for the United States to return to the Paris accord.

On Wednesday, Germany's government said it was "highly regrettable" that the United States had left the accord. "It's all the more important that Europe, the EU and Germany lead by example," government spokesman Paul Seibert said.

While the Trump administration has rejected federal measures to cut greenhouse gases, Seibert noted⁵ that U.S. states, cities and businesses have pushed ahead with their own efforts.

Words in This Story

commit – v. to agree to

ideally – adv. used to say what should happen or be done to produce the best results

greenhouse gas – n. pollutants⁶ shown to cause rising temperature in Earth's atmosphere

drought – n. a long period of little or no rainfall, leading to water shortages

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法