It is all in the expected lines! US opts out of climate accord. The maxim ‘think globally and act locally’ is perhaps misinterpreted by Trump. He may be proud to be a ‘global’ leader, but, for climate purposes, he prefers to be ‘local’. For him, it appears that the sustainability of the planet Earth is immaterial. The US is a culprit in two ways. For one, they are the second largest fossil fuel producer and emitter. On the other, despite being an affluent nation, they are depriving their financial support to underdeveloped countries by stepping out of the Paris Accord. The accord works on the polluter-pay principle, but the US won’t pay henceforth. Another unfortunate Trump decision is to exit WHO.  Understandably, Trump is under compulsion to build America. His poll promise of nation-building seems to be Trump’s focus, and one has to appreciate his patriotic spirit. Nevertheless, Trump should not forget his responsibility as a world leader but has to balance between nation and world. We do not understand how a nation like the USA could afford to think environment to have jurisdiction. The pollutants emitted in America do not have a territory and will never stop within the four walls. Air is common to mankind, and the emission will travel beyond the boundaries. How could America forget COVID-19, which originated in China and traveled the entire globe? How can he imagine America being a ‘stand-alone island’ that could survive without mobilizing resources from other countries? In essence, global nations are interdependent in sharing natural resources. When the entire world realized this interdependency and started thinking from a broad perspective, it was a retrograde step to pull out of the Paris Accord. Climate change has already taken its toll throughout the world. Even the US has been affected recently due to the massive Los Angeles fire. El Nino effect is experienced everywhere. When the climate emergency has already set in, it cannot spare America just because it does not participate in global climate action. On the one hand, other signatories to the Paris Accord may follow suit and developed countries may pull out their commitment. On the other hand, the UN may experience a funding crisis in supporting third-world countries.

Perhaps the financial goals planned when the US was a partner to the accord need to be revisited. The need of the hour is for the member nations to come together and reset the climate mitigation goals. The member nations need to ignore the US while planning the future course of action as if the US is not in existence. Being the major contributor to emissions, the quantum of emission load from the US cannot be ignored. However, the revised climate goals must envisage a feasible and achievable target, sans America, at least for the next four years. Simultaneously, efforts must be on to convince the Trump administration to come into the ambit of the climate accord.  To sum up, climate change cannot wait for Trump and the ball must be set rolling. This is a ticklish issue but has to be tackled judiciously by other world leaders.