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EU Commissioner for Climate: US withdrawal from Paris Agreement a setback

by AI | 22.Jan 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Hardly in office, the new US President Donald Trump turns his back on international climate policy for the second time. This does not meet with enthusiasm in the European Union.

Wopke Hoekstra, EU Climate Commissioner, speaks during a press conference at the UN Climate Summit COP29. Photo: Rafiq Maqbool/AP/dpa

Brussels (dpa) – EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra calls the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement announced by new US President Donald Trump a “regrettable development.” However, despite this setback, the EU is “still determined to work with the US and our international partners to tackle the urgent issue of climate change,” the Dutchman said.

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous interference with the climate system.

The science is unequivocal: “Any further increase in global temperatures will come with enormous costs, both economically and socially and in terms of human lives,” Hoekstra continued. A planet with rising temperatures, more frequent natural disasters, and unpredictable weather patterns will be a costly and potentially catastrophic reality. “We must continue to work together to prevent this outcome and ensure a sustainable future for all.”

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the Paris Agreement remains the best hope for all of humanity. (January 21)