Syria has signed the Paris Climate Agreement, making the United States the only country in the world which does not support the framework. The agreement, which details a global plan to combat greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, was first signed in 2015 by nearly 200 countries.
Earlier this year US President Donald Trump announced that the USA would cease to participate in the agreement, claiming that it would be a major economic disadvantage to American workers. Former US President Barack Obama was one of the first world leaders to initially sign the deal. Due to article 28 of the agreement, the withdrawal of the United States cannot take place until 2020.
Trump faced significant backlash over the withdrawal, with leaders and members of the public criticising the move. Now, with Syria as a signatory, the pressure is mounting for Trump to reconsider the agreement.
“Now the entire world is resolutely committed to advancing climate action – all save one country,” Global Director of the Climate Program at the World Resources Institute, Paula Caballero said in The Independent. “This should make the Trump administration pause and reflect on their ill-advised announcement about withdrawing.”
The agreement has a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
