• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
Leadership

The Paris Accord Withdrawal Is a Win For the Coal Industry. But It Probably Won’t Bring Back Jobs

Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2017, 2:40 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In May of 2016, Donald Trump stood before a cheering crowd in Charleston, West Virginia. “I am thinking about the miners all over this country,” he said at the time. He had just effectively clinched the Republican nomination, and signs of “Trump digs coal” were peppered throughout the crowd. “We’re going to put the miners back to work. We are going to get those mines open.”

Trump’s message clearly resonated; he won nine of the ten states with the highest coal production in the United States last November, easily sweeping Wyoming, West Virginia and Kentucky, the top three spots on the list.

President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, which he will announce at the White House Rose Garden Thursday, is being billed as a way to turn those words into action.

“This is a step to fulfilling some of the promises that he [President Trump] made,” said Tyler White, President of the Coal Association in Kentucky, which has lost over 25,000 coal jobs since 2011.

There is shaky evidence, however, that withdrawing from this agreement will give people employed in the mining industry what they want: more jobs.

Trump has already signed an Executive Order on Energy Independence mandating that federal agencies review President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which is designed to reduce carbon emissions 32% by 2030, largely by replacing coal-fired plants with natural gas and renewable energy sources.

The Clean Power Plan was the key policy that allowed President Obama to commit to the world under the Paris Agreement that the U.S. would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 28% by 2025, but the framers of the Paris Agreement and other environmental attorneys say Trump could have simply revised the U.S. emissions reductions targets downward if he eliminates the Clean Power Plan.

Still, for members of the coal industry and lawmakers in states with high coal production who argued against regulations of the Clean Power Plan—over 25 states and the largest coal company in the private sector filed a lawsuit against the plan and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said the regulations “damaged the way of life” in his state—leaving the Paris Agreement is welcome news.

“We urge you to make a clean exit from the Paris Agreement so that your administration can follow through on it’s commitment to rescind the Clean Power plan,” 22 Republican Senators wrote in a May 25th letter to the President.

All of these Senators represent states Trump won in the 2016 election. Four were from the coal-heavy states Wyoming and Kentucky. A representative for Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi confirmed that he “certainly thinks that rolling back the Paris Agreement will be beneficial to coal workers in Wyoming and America.”

Like these Senators White said the biggest benefit for Kentucky that would come out of this would be the rollback of the CPP. The Kentucky coal community, he said, is still hopeful in the ability to restore confidence in coal, noting that even though jobs were shed in the first quarter of 2017, there was a half point uptick in production.

“We’re still trying to stop the bleeding,” White explained. He said he was open to increasing opportunities in the natural gas and renewable energy sectors, which many experts argue is more realistic than revitalizing coal, but he wants to ensure the sustainability of his industry. “We see us moving in the right direction under the administration which is comforting.”

But experts say larger market forces—like the increasing use of natural gas and renewable energy—will prevail.

“It will have zero impact,” James Van Nostrand, a law professor at West Virginia University and the Director of the school’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, said of Trump’s decision. “Environmental regulations have a small impact on economics. You make environmental regulations go away, it doesn’t change anything at all.”

In 2015, coal production dropped 10.3% to its lowest level since 1986, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s annual coal report published last November. That same year, the average number of employees at U.S. mines decreased 12%, the lowest number since the agency began collecting information in 1978.

“It was a con when he made that promise,” Van Nostrand said of Trump. “The coal jobs aren’t coming back.”

About the Author
Alana Abramson
By Alana Abramson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Exclusive: Xbox’s CEO on 3,200 job cuts, four studios axed, and her blunt warning that ‘we spread ourselves too thin’
Microsoft
Exclusive: Xbox’s CEO on 3,200 job cuts, four studios axed, and her blunt warning that ‘we spread ourselves too thin’
By July 6, 2026
0 seconds ago
‘Our business today is not healthy’: 1,600 Xbox employees among the 4,800 laid off by Microsoft as it looks to ‘reset’ gaming division
Big TechMicrosoft
‘Our business today is not healthy’: 1,600 Xbox employees among the 4,800 laid off by Microsoft as it looks to ‘reset’ gaming division
By The Associated PressJuly 6, 2026
1 hour ago
Indra Nooyi sitting in a chair behind a red background.
SuccessCareers
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
1 hour ago
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban
SuccessWealth
Billionaire Mark Cuban says it’s ‘embarrassing’ to not pay employees well—and a $20 minimum wage should be standard
By Emma BurleighJuly 6, 2026
2 hours ago
A businesswoman uses a smartphone in modern conference room.
NewslettersFortune Workplace Innovation
The tech attention crisis has hit the workplace. One company thinks AI is the cure
By Kristin StollerJuly 6, 2026
5 hours ago
Scott Roe, CFO and COO of Tapestry.
C-SuiteNext to Lead
How the company behind Coach and Kate Spade decides what belongs in its portfolio
By Ruth UmohJuly 6, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
2 days ago
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
Investing
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
21 hours ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
4 days ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
By Sydney LakeJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.