INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM STATEMENT
AMERICAN PARTICIPATION IN THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT DOESN'T MAKE A MEANINGFUL ENVIRONMENTAL DIFFERENCE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Independent Women’s Forum applauds President Trump’s decision to back out of the Paris climate agreement. IWF senior fellow Jillian Melchior made the following statement:
American participation in the Paris climate agreement does not make a meaningful environmental difference. Even if the United States managed to dramatically reduce its carbon emissions as promised, the impact on climate change would be less than two-hundredths of one degree Celsius by 2100.
The Obama administration sought to accomplish its Paris commitments through the Clean Power Plan, a regulation that would increase home electricity costs by double digits in almost every state. Low-income families would be hardest hit, forced to devote a growing share of their pay to utility bills.
In contrast, the Paris climate agreement gave Beijing a pass to continue increasing its carbon emissions until 2030—even though China is among the world’s worst polluters. The Chinese government made only meager commitments to reform its truly egregious environmental practices. And if Beijing fails to make good on those promises, there’s little that the United States and its other partners can do to enforce the non-binding Paris climate pact.
Americans understand the importance of a clean environment. But it’s unfair to ask our citizens to sacrifice so much to accomplish so little.
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Independent Women's Forum works to improve the lives of Americans by increasing the number of women who value free-markets and personal liberty.