U.S. pull out from Paris Agreement ‘unfortunate’ – Harmon

United States President Donald Trump has declared that his country would be pulling out of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, and State Minister Joseph Harmon has said he believes the remaining signees to that agreement will now have to regroup on the way forward.

“I believe (that) whatever movement takes place after this, the international community will have to regroup and have a fresh look at the commitments that have been made under the agreement, and move forward,” Harmon told reporters at the post Cabinet press briefing on Friday.

Calling the move “unfortunate”, the State Minister has posited that the US decision comes at a time when the rest of the world is moving in a certain direction.

Asked what impact this United States’ leader would have on the agreement, Harmon noted: “It is a question of the financial support which comes with that into the global community. As you know, the U.S. is a major contributor to these international agreements.”

Nevertheless, he pointed out that the force of the global push will overcome the United States’ withdrawal from the Climate Change pact.

Moreover, commenting on the possibility of more countries pulling outs from the agreement, Minister Harmon said it will be a matter of choice for those nations. He added that the agreement is a voluntary one, but declared that Guyana is committed to the global Climate Change Accord.

“It’s a serious matter of concern for us, and we are committed to it. We are committed to the benefits which also accrue under that Paris Agreement,” he said.

He pointed out that Guyana is already experiencing the impact of global warming in terms of climate change. He was referring to the recent floods in Regions Seven and Eight, which destroyed many homes and crops in several villages by the rising

water level.

International leaders, members of the business community and commentators have stated that this move by the U.S. President would weaken global efforts to fight Climate Change, but President Trump has justified his decision to pull out from the pact by saying that it had placed “draconian” financial burdens on the American people.

“We’re getting out… This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States… And we will start to renegotiate and we’ll see if there’s a better deal. If we can, great; if we can’t, that’s fine,” the U.S. Leader said at a press briefing on the lawns of the White House in Washington on Thursday.

Trump’s position comes despite worldwide efforts to have the United States remain on the agreement, which 195 nations, barring Syria and Nicaragua, signed on to. President David Granger was the first Head of State to sign the global pact two years ago.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader and former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who also holds a coveted ‘Champion of the Earth’ title, believes that the Caribbean region could have been more proactive in pushing the climate change agenda.

He pointed out at a press conference on Friday that the U.S. President had expressed his intention to withdraw from the climate change deal since on his campaign trail, which should have been picked up by President Granger as Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

President Granger has been religiously pushing his ‘Green State’ initiative, highlighting it at various international forums, but Jagdeo has expressed his grave disappointment at the inaction by not only Guyana, but other regional leaders as well, in advancing policies that would ensure the region benefits from the global climate change movement.

“We knew in Guyana and in the region that this act — if the U.S. President were to fulfil his (campaign) promise — would be implemented and we’ve practically done very little, if anything at all about this,” the Opposition Leader said.

Moreover, given the policies touted by Trump on his campaign trail, the former Guyanese Head of State recalled, he had urged at that time for a serious attempt on the region’s part to ensure that the nuances of small states and their challenges would not be lost.

“We’ve had over six months since the elections in the United States of America, and I am yet to see any regional effort to point out to the new administration in the United States of America about how large a few issues loom in our lives, particularly matters concerning the environment and trade,” Jagdeo has stated.