What the U.S. Election Means for Global Climate Action
A Biden administration could accelerate the global energy transition, while the U.S. risks falling further behind if Trump wins a second term.
Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
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In June 2017, when President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, many worried other countries would follow suit. Those fears haven’t come to pass, even as the U.S. officially exits the accord on Nov. 4 — the day after the presidential election.
If anything, seasoned climate watchers have been pleasantly surprised to see Asian nations including China, Japan and South Korea publicly set goals to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions before 2050 or 2060. The U.S. is the only one among the world’s five biggest economies that hasn’t made such a pledge. What explains the turn of events?