
Donald Trump's rhetoric when it comes to climate change prompted the UN to make a big move before the election.
Can’t stump the Trump, unless you’re the United Nations: they just ratified an international climate deal earlier than expect, which would prevent him from canceling it if he becomes president, which he has promised to do. It’s a big move from international governments that clearly don’t trust the bombastic billionaire when it comes to climate change, and it was finalized by the European Union’s decision Tuesday to joint he Paris climate deal, allowing the deal to be ratified and take effect in 30 days.
If Trump is elected in November, he would not be able to cancel or renegotiate the terms of the agreement, which would commit the United States to reducing emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025. However, the agreement is non-binding, so Trump could simple ignore it.
The quick ratification appears to be in direct response to rhetoric for Trump, as most had not expect it to take effect until next year at the earliest. It took five years for a previous international climate deal, the Kyoto Protocol, to be ratified.
From an EU statement on the issue: “Governments agreed a long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels; to aim to limit the increase to 1.5°C, since this would significantly reduce risks and the impacts of climate change; on the need for global emissions to peak as soon as possible, recognising that this will take longer for developing countries;
to undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with the best available science.”
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