U.S. abandonment of Paris Agreement sparks big fall in global net zero coverage

An update from a group of academic and non-profit organizations that monitors global climate goals revealed the impact of President Donald Trump’s decision, announced Jan. 20, to revoke America’s net-zero target and withdraw the country from the Paris Agreement.

According to Net Zero Tracker, the share of global GDP covered by net-zero commitments subsequently fell from 93 percent to 78 percent.

Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. had committed to hitting net zero by 2050, with an interim target of a roughly 50 percent emissions cut by 2030. Around a third of the 2030 cuts had been achieved by 2022, with the Inflation Reduction Act and other climate initiatives set to contribute 30 to 44 percent, according to an analysis released late last year by the non-profit Climate Action Tracker. 

Powerhouse states

The U.S. decision to abandon those goals may prompt other countries to weaken their national commitments under the Paris Agreement, which are due to be updated ahead of the COP30 summit in Brazil this November. India, the world’s third-largest emitter, is reported to be unlikely to upgrade its targets. Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has said he is considering withdrawing that country from Paris altogether, as has a key member of New Zealand’s governing coalition. 

The tide is not flowing entirely in one direction, however. At the most recent COP meeting, held in Azerbaijan in November, Mexico announced that it would target net zero emissions by 2050, the first time the country has set such a goal. Many U.S. states also have their own goals independent of the federal government. “Despite Mr. Trump’s federal retreat, 19 states, including powerhouses California and New York, have independent net zero targets, covering over $10 trillion in GDP,” said John Lang, who leads Net Zero Tracker.