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South Africa has expressed regret at the decision by the United States president Donald Trump to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement again.
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, said the Paris Agreement was the most flexible and dynamic approach to addressing climate change.
He said the adoption of the Paris Agreement, 15 years after the withdrawal of the United States from the Kyoto Protocol, was a victory for the multilateral effort to curb climate change.
“The US played an important role in the negotiation of the Paris Agreement, and the withdrawal of the USA is not only an abdication of the global responsibility that we all have to humankind, but damaging to multilateralism, international law and carefully built trust between nations,” Minister George said.
He noted that historically, the US has contributed significantly to global emissions and therefore to global warming and climate change.
The Paris Agreement is premised on a common and very strong understanding that we all have a common responsibility to act, whilst noting that nations over time have contributed to the problem differently and have varied capabilities to respond.
“Therefore, Americans have a pressing moral obligation not only to lead in reducing emissions, but to support developing economies in contributing to the global effort, and to provide support to poor countries experiencing the impacts of climate change.
“The United States has committed to do so, most recently at COP 29, and its recently communicated mitigation target for 2035.
“It appears now that these commitments will not be upheld. We hope that this is not the case.” Minister George added.
He said South Africa recognised the outstanding contribution made to the fight against climate change in the US by past administrations, states, cities, scientific organisations, civil society, business and ordinary Americans.
George applauded the continuing efforts of US citizens and non-state actors to address the climate crisis with the diligence, creativity and imagination we have come to expect.
“We recall the substantial contribution that previous Administrations have made to South Africa’s efforts to address climate change, including most recently support provided by the US to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership.
