Climate groups hit Trump for quitting Paris climate deal

MANILA, Philippines – Non-governmental organizations are still hopeful about combating climate change even as US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accord on Thursday, June 1. 

“It may be disturbing for the the United States to leave the Paris Agreement, but the rest of the world are standing up. Grassroots communities shall (link arms) arms together, and vulnerable countries like the Philippines shall continue demanding for climate justice,” The Climate Reality Project Philippines Manager Rodne Galicha said in a statement on Friday, June 2.

He added: “While urging our own governments to sustain our commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, our villages, local governments, and communities are beginning to take drastic actions to address climate crisis bottom-up.”

Trump’s decision sent shockwaves among governments and climate change activists around the world. The Philippine government has urged the US president to reconsider its withdrawal from the agreement.

“The US, as the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and more importantly, one of the world leaders, would have played a key role in creating the much needed global paradigm shift towards a more climate-resilient and climate-smart future,” the Climate Change Commission (CCC) said in a statement.

Hope remains

The Climate Reality Project, a group founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, encouraged counties, cities, and states in the US to reject Trump’s decision and continue the fight for the planet.

“Let us unite our efforts together, learning from the errors of the past, addressing the needs of the present and face the challenges of the future, within the carrying capacity of nature, without compromising the capacity of the next generations to survive,” Galicha said.

US cities and states defied Trump’s decision. Democratic-led states of California, New York, and Washington pledged to uphold the global accord’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

Holding polluters accountable

Meanwhile, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Director Naderev Saño said this day should be remembered as the time when the US “turned its back on those who needed its leadership, ambition, and compassion.”

He added: “We in the Philippines are on the frontlines of climate change and will hold the polluters accountable for the suffering and injustice global warming is already inflicting upon our people. We are not alone though. Our global community will take action, and is already taking action, with or without the US government.” 

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change is the first-ever legally-binding global deal on climate change signed by 194 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (FULL COVERAGE: Climate change)

The agreement was adopted during the COP21 climate change conference in Paris, France, in December 2015. – Rappler.com