RMI Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

A statement from RMI expressing disappointment over President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, while asserting that subnational actions and the global energy transition will continue.

• RMI views the Paris Agreement as the most significant global governance mechanism for addressing climate change and believes the withdrawal of the United States, the leading per capita emitter of greenhouse gases, will significantly undermine these efforts.
• Despite the federal decision, RMI expects U.S. climate action to continue through the efforts of businesses, cities, and states. These entities may aggregate their actions as a "societally determined contribution" (SDC) or an alternative nationally determined contribution (NDC) to maintain progress in clean mobility and renewable energy.
• The transition to energy efficiency and renewables is described as continuing unabated. In the previous year, renewable energy and natural gas combined for 50% of U.S. electricity supplies, while coal fell to its lowest share in 70 years at 30%. Additionally, the U.S. solar industry saw employment grow to 260,077 workers last year, a nearly 25% increase since 2015.
• Most countries globally remain committed to the Paris Agreement. Specifically, China, India, and Europe are positioned to fill the leadership void left by the U.S., leaving only Syria, Nicaragua, and the U.S. as non-committed nations.
• Several U.S. states, including New York, Oregon, and Michigan, have increased their Renewable Portfolio Standards to require utilities to use more renewable energy.

APA

Kortenhorst, J. (2017). RMI Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. RMI. https://rmi.org/resources/rmi-statement-u-s-withdrawal-paris-agreement/

Chicago

Kortenhorst, Jules. RMI Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. RMI, 2017. https://rmi.org/resources/rmi-statement-u-s-withdrawal-paris-agreement/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kortenhorst |first1=Jules |title=RMI Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement |publisher=RMI |date=1 June 2017 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/rmi-statement-u-s-withdrawal-paris-agreement/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kortenhorst2017rmi, author = {Kortenhorst, Jules}, title = {{RMI Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/rmi-statement-u-s-withdrawal-paris-agreement/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }