Bay Area Air District statement on Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement

“President Trump announced today that the United States will withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement. Rejecting the climate agreement significantly compromises the nearly 200-nation pact that brings the world’s countries together in the fight against climate change.

This move is likely to cause a ripple-effect that will destabilize global climate efforts. The stakes are tremendous for air quality and public health. The effects of climate change are already being felt worldwide as global temperatures rise and catastrophic weather patterns are realized.

However, as we lose our focus and momentum on a national level, the Bay Area marches forward.

We are moving towards a bright future as we look to innovative ways to address our climate challenges. Yesterday, the Air District Board of Directors set the stage for a first in the nation rule to cap greenhouse gas emissions from our region’s five refineries. We recently released our clean air plan and regional climate strategy - Spare the Air, Cool the Climate – which outlines our vision to improve Bay Area air quality and reduce climate impacts. Through this ambitious plan, we will tackle climate change head-on.

The Bay Area leads the nation in innovative, effective climate initiatives and our efforts will continue, even in the absence of science-based policies at the national level. As the nation steps back from the Paris climate agreement, the Bay Area and California must, more than ever, continue to step up and fill the leadership vacuum.”

 View press release(167 Kb PDF, 1 pg, revised 05/11/2023).