China Doubts U.S. Climate Pledge as Trump Mulls Paris Withdrawal

Bloomberg discuss withdrawing U.S. comittment to the Paris Climate Treaty with Marlo Lewis. 

Conservatives arguing in favor of a U.S. pullout from Paris say the risks are too great to remain. Under the accord, countries are expected to strengthen their individual goals every five years, and the agreement prods developed countries to “lead,” undertaking the “highest possible ambition.” Member nations are set to gather again next year to take stock of their collective progress.

“This whole idea of being binding or non-binding is a distinction without a difference,” said Marlo Lewis, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. “Trump and whoever comes after Trump will continually be caught in this no man’s land where if you don’t do what Obama promised, you are breaking a promise that America, allegedly, has made to the world.”

Since Trump is already rolling back domestic climate regulations, “why not go all the way?” Lewis asked. “Why affirm the legitimacy of an agreement — and why pledge fealty to an agreement — that basically indicts you for doing what you are going to do?”

Read the full article at Bloomberg.