Statement: U.S. officially rejoins the international Paris Agreement

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President Biden fulfills this important promise as part of efforts to act on climate change

Environment America

WASHINGTON — The United States officially rejoined the international Paris Agreement on Friday. The act brings America back into a key accord aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions. 

Environment America had called on Biden to prioritize rejoining the Paris Agreement on his first day in office in the “First Things to Fix” report. The report presented 20 actions for the Biden administration to undertake in early days of office to undo the Trump administration’s rollbacks of environmental laws and protections.

Andrea McGimsey, senior director for Environment America’s Global Warming Solutions campaign, issued the following statement: 

“We thank President Biden for being true to his word by bringing America back into the Paris Agreement today. With this commitment, our country can reclaim a leadership role in addressing one of the most daunting challenges of our time. For the past four years, states like Virginia and New Mexico have led on climate action with strong commitments to 100 percent clean energy, but the federal government was missing in action. We now look forward to a rigorous and inspiring coordinated national effort for climate solutions. 

“As pleased as we are with our return to the Paris Agreement, it must only be a start. From getting more electric buses on the road to installing more charging stations in our national parks, so much can and must be done. We’ll also need to electrify our buildings and all of our appliances, and power them with clean renewable energy. And it’s time to stop subsidizing fossil fuels with Americans’ tax dollars.

“Extreme weather continues to hammer communities across the country. It’s clear that to protect our families’ health and well-being today — and to achieve a stable climate for our children and grandchildren — we need to lean in now to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement and go far further.”  

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