US withdrawal not to derail pact: Tiilikainen

Minister for Housing, Energy and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen on Thursday said the withdrawal of USA from the Paris Climate Change Agreement would not derail the pact.

The US government has announced that the country will pull out of the agreement, according to which the earliest time when the withdrawal could take place is after three years from the entry into force of the agreement, i.e., in November 2019.

“The USA’s withdrawal will not derail the whole agreement, but it weakens its impact. It may increase the uncertainty as to the direction the international climate policy is going to take. Now, other countries must engage in even closer cooperation in implementing the agreement. The EU must also adopt a stronger position as a climate leader, perhaps together with China,” said Tiilikainen.

The minister also stressed the important role of the civil society, municipalities, and companies in this regard. “I am very disappointed with the decision taken by the United States, which I consider damaging to the country’s reputation. The richest nation in the world shows its negligence regarding the future of mankind. Had they so desired, the US Government could have stayed committed to the agreement while still implementing President Trump’s national industrial policy,” said Tiilikainen.

“We must bear in mind that political decisions are not the only way to combat climate change. In the United States, too, many of the states, towns and cities, and private companies have become well aware of the threats associated with climate change, such as increased occurrence of extreme weather events and health risks,” he added.

According to Tiilikainen, besides being a necessity, reducing emissions should also be seen as a business opportunity. “Implementing emission reductions in different parts of the world and the pricing of coal create equitable demand for new solutions, including renewable energy. This means higher competitiveness for export companies in countries with ambitious climate policies,” said Tiilikainen.

The goal of the Paris Agreement as from 2020 is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, thus aiming to keep the rise in average temperature at 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The Paris Agreement is the first international, legally binding climate agreement which covers the vast majority of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

The agreement is considered irrevocable as almost all countries in the world have signed it. As many as 147 countries have already ratified the agreement by their national procedures. The only countries that have not joined the agreement are Syria and Nicaragua.