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

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

Why Concerns About Trump’s Paris Accord Pullout Are Overblown

By
Jeffrey Ball
Jeffrey Ball
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jeffrey Ball
Jeffrey Ball
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2017, 4:37 PM ET
The politics of global warming has always been more heat than light, more about cheap ideology than sensible solutions. Today’s news—that President Trump will withdraw the United States from its commitment under the Paris climate change agreement as much of the world fumes—is just the latest in this sorry saga. President Trump is wrong to call climate change “a hoax;” it isn’t. And he’s wrong to claim that following through with the Paris accord would hobble the U.S. economy; it needn’t. But climate activists are wrong to suggest that a U.S. pullout from the Paris agreement will kill efforts to protect the planet; it won’t.
Environmental concerns about Trump’s announcement are overblown for three reasons.

1. The Paris accord was only a small step

The 2015 Paris agreement was more symbolic than substantive in the fight against climate change. It convinced developing countries—China, India, and the other fast-growing economies that will account for the overwhelming majority of the growth in greenhouse gas emissions in coming years—to agree to constrain their emissions. Before Paris, only developed nations had pledged (under a 1997 accord called the Kyoto Protocol) to curb their carbon outputs. The country that at the time was the world’s biggest carbon emitter, the U.S., decided not to ratify the Kyoto treaty in a decision that sparked international outrage similar to the sort emanating today from many global capitals.
But the Paris agreement itself never was going to make a big difference in climate change. The pledges that countries made under the accord are voluntary and essentially unenforceable; the agreement’s main cudgel is geopolitical peer pressure. Even assuming that countries fulfilled their Paris pledges—which, given emissions trends in several countries, is a big assumption—virtually every analysis has projected that emissions still would rise so high as to push average global temperatures more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. That’s the threshold scientists have identified as likely to usher in particularly dangerous consequences from climate change.

2. The U.S. is no longer the world’s top emitter

The United States is decreasingly important in the global climate calculus. To be sure, it remains the world’s second-largest carbon emitter behind China, and its actions have the potential to influence those of other nations. Yet the vast majority of increased emissions in coming years will come not from the U.S. but from developing countries—particularly China and India.

3. It’s the economy, stupid

Which brings us to the third and most important reason that the U.S. decision to abrogate its Paris pledge is not likely on its own to fry the world. In what is emerging as the most significant shift in climate geopolitics, key developing countries show every indication that they’ll continue—regardless of what President Trump does—to take steps that will have the effect of curbing their carbon emissions. That’s true not just of China, the world’s top emitter, and not just of India, by most accounts the fourth-largest emitter, but also of fast-growing nations in Latin America and Africa. These countries’ main environmental motives never have been, and probably never will be, to fight climate change. Their motives are far more tangible but no less important—cleaning up dirty air and adding domestic jobs in burgeoning low-carbon industries. Achieving those ends would indirectly help constrain carbon emissions. A U.S. pullout from Paris doesn’t minimize those motives.
Without doubt, the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord will impugn America’s global credibility and prompt the rest of the world to question the legitimacy of U.S. promises on any number of international issues. But the move does not mean game over for global warming. The slog to muster the geopolitical will, the technological know-how, and the economic discipline to combat the toughest environmental problem the world has ever faced was going to be monumentally hard even with Washington playing along. It is going to benefit from increasingly serious action by key economies even with the White House booing from the sidelines.
About the Author
By Jeffrey Ball
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

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

Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
By Ashley LutzMay 22, 2026
1 minute ago
satya nadella
AITech
Microsoft reports are exposing AI’s real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
28 minutes ago
Sam Altman standing in a lift.
AIOpenAI
The big questions looming over OpenAI’s trillion-dollar IPO
By Beatrice NolanMay 22, 2026
30 minutes ago
Walmart shoppers are filling their gas tanks with less than 10 gallons for the first time since 2022, and its CFO calls it ‘an indication of stress’
EconomyRetail
Walmart shoppers are filling their gas tanks with less than 10 gallons for the first time since 2022, and its CFO calls it ‘an indication of stress’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 22, 2026
42 minutes ago
The health benefits of saunas: backed by research and experts 
HealthHealth
The health benefits of saunas: backed by research and experts 
By Katie MooreMay 22, 2026
55 minutes ago
Musk may already be a trillionaire while these SpaceX employees and investors will hit multibillion-dollar jackpots after blockbuster IPO
Startups & VentureSpaceX
Musk may already be a trillionaire while these SpaceX employees and investors will hit multibillion-dollar jackpots after blockbuster IPO
By Jason MaMay 22, 2026
1 hour ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
3 days ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 21, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
AI
McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
By Emma BurleighMay 21, 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.