To understand the Paris Accords on global warming, view this.
It is time for checking the pockets. Donald Trump killed the whole deal by pulling out.
THE G-20
The G-20 is a twice-annual public relations festival of photo opportunities where heads of state get to let voters back home know how important they are.
The only problem is, the G-20 meetings are not important. Nothing ever comes out of them that changes anything.
The G-20 always ends with a series of pronouncements. These pronouncements carry no weight. No money is transferred. No sanctions are imposed. The G-20 is toothless.
This year, Trump buried it by pulling out of the Paris Accords, a really big PR stunt by the impotent United Nations. In response to Trump’s decision, the G-20 announced:
The Leaders of the other G20 members state that the Paris Agreement is irreversible. We reiterate the importance of fulfilling the UNFCCC commitment by developed countries in providing means of implementation including financial resources to assist developing countries with respect to both mitigation and adaptation actions in line with Paris outcomes and note the OECD’s report “Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth”. We reaffirm our strong commitment to the Paris Agreement, moving swiftly towards its full implementation in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances and, to this end, we agree to the G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth as set out in the Annex.
Without the United States in the agreement, it is dead in the water. The United States government has no intention of enforcing anything, or even acknowledging the legitimacy of the criteria, and the Paris Accords are as impotent as the United Nations, and the whole world knows it.
