The Paris Agreement
In December 2015, the international community of nations endorsed the Paris Climate Agreement and its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
2017-2021
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June 2017
In June 2017, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement. While signatories cannot formally leave the agreement until November 4, 2020, the Trump administration’s decision nevertheless represents a major setback to global efforts to address climate change.
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June 2017
Nineteen state attorneys general announced they are participating in the “We Are Still In” coalition, joining forces with governors, mayors, business leaders, and universities to pledge to keep their states’ commitments to abide by the principles of the Paris Agreement.
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November 2020
In November 2020, the Trump administration formally withdrew from the Paris Agreement. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra released a statement in response to the withdrawal, calling the decision “the spark that ignited [the Trump] administration’s destructive, anti-science agenda.”