The Peril of Paris: Trump's Climate Challenge Looms Large

The EU's climate policy head warns of a significant setback for global climate efforts if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump decides to exit the Paris Agreement again. An exit would necessitate doubling down on climate diplomacy by other nations. The EU aims for constructive engagement with the incoming U.S. administration despite potential challenges.

Global climate efforts face a critical juncture as the prospect of another U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement looms, following President-elect Donald Trump's re-entry into the White House. EU's climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, stressed the severe diplomatic impact such a move would have.

Trump's transition team has reportedly readied executive orders for a U.S. exit from the landmark climate treaty, a scenario Hoekstra views as necessitating intensified climate diplomacy among other nations. Hoekstra emphasized the indiscriminate nature of climate change and the necessity of global cooperation.

Despite the uncertainty, the EU plans to engage constructively with the upcoming U.S. administration and pledges to have its climate strategy ready for the U.N. summit in Brazil. The EU remains committed to ambitious climate goals even as it acknowledges a potential leadership vacuum without U.S. participation.

(With inputs from agencies.)