Africa’s climate change chief criticises Trump’s Paris withdrawal 

The chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change has criticised Donald Trump’s vow to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. 

In a statement, Kenyan diplomat Ali Mohamed said the group is “deeply disappointed by the unilateral decision by President Donald J. Trump to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and promote polluting energy systems. 

“This decision is a direct threat to global efforts to limit temperature rise and avert the catastrophic impacts of climate change, particularly for the world’s most vulnerable nations.”

Mohamed said the US bears a “historical responsibility to lead in climate action.”

Trump’s decision is the second time he has pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement after removing the US from the pact in his first term – a decision later reversed by President Joe Biden.

Threat to a pivotal agreement 

The 2015 agreement, which brings together 196 nations, aims to pursue efforts to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. 

The deal included commitments by developed countries – which to date have been mostly unmet – to provide at least $100bn annually to support developing nations to mitigate the impact of climate change.  

“Turning away from these commitments is not only short-sighted but also a grave disservice to humanity and future generations,” Mohamed added in a statement on X.   

Africa is particularly exposed to climate change, including droughts, desertification and flooding. As one of the largest global economies, the US plays a key role in funding climate projects.

“Backsliding on climate commitments by developed countries, who bear the historical responsibility of emissions, and who should lead the transition in line with their obligations under international law and relevant agreements, will lead to a substantial increase in climate-induced losses and damages, particularly in developing countries,” said Mohamed. 

Drilling in Alaska

As well as vowing to remove the US from the Paris Agreement – which will take a year to officially conclude – Trump also promised to promote oil and gas production in Alaska, reversing Biden’s efforts to protect Arctic areas and the US coastal waters from drilling.   

“America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have: the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth…And we are going to use it,” Trump said in Monday’s inauguration speech. 

Jiwoh Abdulai, minister of environment of Sierra Leone, expressed his concern.

“Climate change related disasters do not conform to political ideologies. We need continued multilateral commitment to collective action, reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG), especially by countries with historical responsibility for GHG emissions.”

Faten Aggad, executive director of the African Future Policies Hub, said that the world cannot afford for the US to turn its back on its commitments.

“The world cannot afford to see the largest greenhouse gas emitter per capita (…) disengage from an agreement that is already under significant strain. Truth be told: we need the US to act seriously. After all, it is responsible for 13.5% of global emissions – more than four-fold Africa’s contribution as a full continent.”