Minister Dion George Urges US To Reconsider Withdrawal From Paris Agreement

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Dion George urged the United States to take its international commitments seriously and carefully think about the consequences of leaving the Paris Agreement.

This comes after reports that President Donald Trump has started the process of withdrawing the US from the agreement once again. In a statement on Thursday, George expressed deep regret over the US's decision to leave the Paris Agreement again.

"The Paris Agreement represents the most flexible and dynamic approach to addressing climate change," George said, SA News reported.

He added, "The US played an important role in the negotiation of the Paris Agreement, and the withdrawal of the USA is not only an abdication of the global responsibility that we all have to humankind, but damaging to multilateralism, international law and carefully built trust between nations."

The Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global effort against climate change by keeping the global temperature rise this century well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and striving to limit the increase to 1.5°C.

The agreement is based on the idea that all countries share the responsibility to act, although some nations have contributed more to the problem and have different abilities to respond.

The US has historically been a major contributor to global emissions, holding the highest cumulative historical emissions, which have played a large role in global warming and the climate crisis.

Because of this, the US has a moral duty to lead in reducing emissions, help developing countries contribute to global efforts, and support poorer nations dealing with the effects of climate change, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

The department mentioned that at the recent 29th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP 29), the United States committed to reducing emissions and set a target for 2035. However, it now seems these commitments may not be kept, and the department hopes this won't happen.

The US has been a leader in climate change science and technological innovation that supports global climate efforts. The department acknowledged the significant contributions made by past US administrations, states, cities, scientific organizations, civil society, businesses, and everyday citizens in fighting climate change.

It also praised the ongoing efforts of US citizens and non-governmental groups in addressing the climate crisis with dedication, creativity, and innovation.