The United States has announced that it is rejoining the Paris Agreement. Here’s what that means:

What You Need To Know

  • The Paris Agreement was signed by 197 countries

  • The U.S. announced that it would exit the Paris Agreement in 2017

  • The Paris Agreement aims to limit greenhouse gases in order to prevent the worst effects of global warming

  • American companies have already adopted carbon limits within their business models

The efforts to prevent the worst effects of climate change were bolstered last year as global greenhouse gas emissions dropped 10%  due to the pandemic. NASA imagery showed cleaner air across many metropolitan areas due to stay-at-home orders, both here at home and abroad. The benefit to the U.S. rejoining the Paris Agreement is to keep those emissions lower and not return to business as usual. 

I have a personal connection to the Paris Agreement. Back in June 2017, I co-founded an organization of TV weather presenters from around the world called Climate Without Borders. Our mission of communicating climate science within daily weather reports has the backing of the UN. With our leader, Jill Peeters, national Belgian TV meteorologist, we were even invited to the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels to formally accept the support of government leaders.

The United States’ return to the Paris Agreement is symbolic, but sends an important message to the rest of the world. The challenge is for local and national governments to formulate ways that will reduce the United States' emissions to prevent a four-degree rise in global temperature, with further steps and an ideal goal to prevent a three-degree rise in average annual temperature.

This goal is central to making America more green and includes limiting drilling on public lands, enhancing fuel efficiency, and using financial incentives for renewable energy projects.

American companies have already adopted the “pledge for Paris,” promising to keep their companies’ emissions under the threshold. While the Paris Agreement is a start, it’s certainly not the end. Already, private researchers are finding that the goals set by the Paris Agreement may not be enough to prevent the worst effects of global warming. However, thanks to rejoining the Paris Agreement, the U.S. is once again seen as a leader in climate change efforts.