The United States President Donald Trump has come under strong criticism following his directive for the withdrawal of America from the landmark Paris Climate Agreement.
The Paris Climate Agreement is an international legally binding agreement among nations aimed at helping countries adapt to climate change effects and mobilise adequate resources to counter it.
Ali Mohamed, the Special Climate Envoy for Kenya, in a statement on Tuesday, January 21, faulted Trump’s controversial decision, accusing him of allegedly promoting environmental pollution.
While expressing his disappointment, Mohamed revealed that Trump’s pronouncement was a direct threat to global efforts aimed at preventing the catastrophic effects of climate change.
According to the Kenyan envoy, the US is one of the world's largest carbon emitters and thus mandated with the responsibility of spearheading climate action globally.
"The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change is deeply disappointed by the unilateral decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement and promote polluting energy systems. This decision is a direct threat to global efforts to limit temperature rise and avert the catastrophic impacts of climate change, particularly for the world's most vulnerable nations," the statement by Ali Mohamed read in part.
“By abandoning its commitments under the Paris Agreement, the US undermines years of hard-fought progress and sends a dangerous signal to the international community."
In his view, America’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement risked undermining the collective progress achieved under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
He further accused Trump of hampering the critical financial and technical support previously offered by the US for countries across the world to adapt to the climate challenges.
While reiterating his sentiments, the Kenyan Ambassador also disclosed that Africa was poised to suffer more as the continent was already on the frontline of the climate crisis, and faced escalating droughts, floods, and extreme weather events.
“Backsliding on climate commitments by developed countries, who bear the historical responsibility of emissions, will lead to a substantial increase in climate-induced losses and damages, particularly in developing countries,” the Kenyan envoy noted.
“Such impacts are confirmed by science, and this responsibility is affirmed by the latest resolutions and decisions by international and regional courts.”
President Trump on Monday, January 20 signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, joining the likes of Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only four countries that are currently out of the agreement.
The US Head of State also signed a letter to the United Nations informing it about the country's decision to withdraw from the climate pact. However, the withdrawal is set to become official after one year.