The USA are as of today officially no longer part of the Paris Climate Agreement. Their withdrawal could increase global warming by 0.1 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

The USA have officially withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement. According to the UN climate secretariat, the step takes effect this Tuesday – exactly one year after the corresponding letter from US President Donald Trump was received by the United Nations.

In practical terms, this means that the USA no longer consider themselves bound to implement measures to limit global warming. They will also no longer participate in international climate conferences. In addition, the withdrawal means a significant loss of funding, including for the support of poorer countries in adapting to rising temperatures and their consequences for the climate. 

The USA are the world's second largest producer of greenhouse gases after China. According to United Nations calculations, current global climate policy is putting the world on track for 2.8 degrees of warming compared to pre-industrial times by the end of the century. A UN estimate suggests that the US withdrawal from the climate agreement will add a negative 0.1 degrees to that figure. According to climate researchers, every tenth of a degree of warming means more devastating climate impacts.

Read the full report at: zeit.de