On November 4, the 2015 Paris climate deal came into force, marking the first time nearly 200 governments, including India, agreed on legally binding limits to global temperature rises.
The United States (US) being the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has a vital role to play to mitigate the effects of climate change. The US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have polar opposite views on climate change and the need to battle it, which could impact the deal once the election results are out.
Trump believes there is still much that needs to be investigated in the field of “climate change" and suggests that the country's "limited financial resources" be spent on providing people with clean water and eliminating diseases like malaria. During a speech in May in Bismarck, North Dakota, Trump called for more fossil fuel drilling and less environmental regulations. If elected, he also pledges to “cancel” the Paris climate deal.
"If Trump comes to power, he will not decarbonise the US economy or shift away from coal or live up to the commitments of the previous regime," believes Dr Rashneh N Pardiwala Director at Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE). A Trump presidency, she says "will have far-reaching ramifications for every species on this planet and the climate struggle will certainly lose momentum quickly, where all other nations, including India may justify soft-peddling and resist the full implementation of the Paris Agreement."
Unlike her opponent, Clinton believes climate change "is an urgent threat" and wants to cut down on pollution going forward. She has also pledged to deliver on the promise President Barack Obama made at the Paris climate conference. "If Clinton wins the election, America will continue investing in clean energy, supporting research, innovation and transfer of technology to cement a climate legacy," said Dr Pardiwala.
Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), however, calls the US’ targets — 26-28% cuts from 2005 levels by 2025 — "a mockery". "On a 1990 baseline, the US will reduce emissions by a mere 13-15% by 2025. This is even lower than what it had pledged in 2010 under the Cancun Agreement," Bhushan claims. He believes Clinton "will not deliver significantly" and Trump would be "disastrous for climate change".
"The US politics on climate change will not change till the US citizens demand action. The politics in the US will have to change for any president to take significant action on climate change," Bhushan concludes.
Americans will vote for their next president on November 8. According to the latest Washington Post-ABC Tracking Poll released early on Sunday, Clinton leads Trump by five points at 48%.
