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South Africa – Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has expressed profound regret over the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, is a global pact aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to cap it at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Following a wave of executive orders by President Donald Trump earlier this week, this move to withdraw has sparked concerns about its impact on global efforts to combat climate change. Dr George criticized the US departure, calling it a step backwards for worldwide progress and a blow to international cooperation.
“The Paris Agreement represents the most flexible and dynamic approach to addressing 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,” he said.
The Minister highlighted the United States’ historical role as the most significant contributor to global emissions and stressed its moral responsibility to reduce emissions and support developing nations. At COP 29, the US committed to these goals, but now those promises seem uncertain.
“It appears now that these commitments will not be upheld. We hope that this is not the case. The United States has been a leader in both the science of climate change and in technological innovation underpinning the global response to climate change.”
Despite this setback, Dr George applauded the tireless efforts of US citizens, businesses, and civil society to address climate change. He also praised previous US administrations’ support, including their contribution to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, urging the current leadership to honour such commitments.
“We applaud 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.”
Dr George reminded the international community of its responsibility to act decisively, noting that climate change disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable and that immediate action is essential to avoid further harm.
As such, South Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to the Paris Agreement and believes that the global effort to combat climate change cannot falter.
“The global effort to curb climate change and address its impacts cannot be put on hold. There is an urgent need for action. We remain hopeful that the momentum of the collective effort to address climate change will only accelerate.”
