Tag: climate

Virginia Tech to continue climate action efforts following US exit from Paris Agreement

By Evan Hull, environment, climate, and sustainability reporter

Solar panels at Perry Street Parking Garage.

For a second time, the U.S. is set to exit the Paris Climate Agreement, but Virginia Tech isn’t backing down from its climate action commitments.

Why it matters: As an internationally recognized institution for environmental engineering and natural resources management, Virginia Tech plays a key role in researching sustainable practices across the globe. With President Donald Trump’s signing of the “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements” executive order, many environmental initiatives across the country are now in limbo. 

The big picture: Virginia Tech will not stray away from its nearly 16-year-old Climate Action Commitment, but there may be some hurdles for researchers.

  • “Our impact on the environment matters to us,” said Mark Owczarski, interim vice president of communications and marketing at Virginia Tech. “It’s part of ‘Ut Prosim.’ We’re serving our community. We’re serving our students and faculty. We serve our environment because, without our environment, we can’t function.”
  • Carbon neutrality and 100% renewable electricity are among the goals Virginia Tech currently has set for its Blacksburg campus by 2030. It is one of many universities that remains in-tune with international climate initiatives.
  • “Right now, there are governors, mayors, and institutions across the U.S. saying ‘we’re still in,’ and ‘we’re going to comply with the Paris Agreement,’” said Carol Franco, senior research associate at Virginia Tech, and climate advisor to the Ministry of the Environment of the Dominican Republic.
  • While the university isn’t concerned about continuing their plans for a more sustainable campus, questions have been raised about research funding—particularly from the federal level.
  • “As faculty, we apply for funding—even departments apply for funding,” Franco said. “Having that funding will impact our availability and our capacity to do research in certain areas.”
  • Still in the early stages of Trump’s second administration, it remains unclear as to what environmental programs and projects will continue to receive federal funding.

Zoom in: While Virginia Tech is unwavering in its commitment to climate action initiatives, officials recognize that times of intense change can always be met with adaptability.

  • “The university believes that responsible stewardship of the environment is important, and that may look different from generation to generation,” Owczarski said. “The plan will continue to change, evolve, and grow over time.”
  • Virginia Tech’s Climate Action Commitment has been revised twice since initial approval in 2009.
World leaders celebrate the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in Paris, Dec. 12, 2015. (Photo/Carol Franco)

Flashback: Over the last several years under the Biden administration and the Paris Agreement, U.S. sustainability plans closely resembled those of Virginia Tech.

  • In April 2021, Biden created a goal of reducing U.S. emissions by 50 to 52% by 2030 according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. By December 2024, the goal was changed to 61 to 66% by 2035.

What we’re watching: While Virginia Tech’s climate initiatives remain safe from federal intervention, experts from countries still in the Paris Agreement are keeping a close eye on the U.S. before they officially exit.

  • The U.S. will still be members of the agreement until January 26, 2025 according to Reuters.
  • “During the first administration of President Trump, the U.S. basically stayed on the sidelines,” Franco said, noting that United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change decisions must be made by consensus. “Now, if the idea is to stay on the sidelines, we’re going to be able to move forward. If the idea is to oppose, then we’re going to have issues.”

Double trouble: the impacts of Trump pulling out of Paris Climate Agreement, again

by: Gracie Gosier, environment reporter.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Putting America First In International Environmental Agreements,” instructing the United States to immediately pull out of the Paris Agreement on January 20, 2025.

UNFCCC at the 2015 UN climate change conference that resulted in the Paris Agreement. Photo from Britannica.

The Paris Agreement, first signed in 2015 at the UN Climate Change Conference,  is a legally binding treaty where nations all over the world committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maintain the global temperature increase below 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels, in an attempt to control global warming and slow down the effects of climate change. 

In September 2016, the United States and China, the world’s two greatest emitters of greenhouse gases, confirmed their combined commitment to the deal, boosting its worldwide momentum. In June 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intention to remove the United States from the Paris Agreement. The formal withdrawal procedure began in November 2019 and was completed on November 4, 2020, making the United States the first country to leave the deal. On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order to rejoin the Paris Agreement, highlighting the need of combating climate change. The United States formally rejoined on February 19, 2021, reiterating its support for global climate policies.

Why it matters: Despite the fact that 2024 is the world’s hottest year on record, President Trump wants to shift the federal government away from former President Joe Biden’s climate program and toward a wider embrace of fossil fuels. Climate change raises the probability of storms, causes more severe rainfall, and increases the likelihood of intense and devastating wildfires.

  • During his first term, Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by withdrawing the United States from the climate accord, joining Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries not part of the agreement.
  • When Biden resumed office in early 2021, he quickly rejoined the Paris Agreement after a brief absence of less than four months. Biden’s climate change policy focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and many of the actions taken by the Biden administration reversed or attempted to reverse the first-term policies of Donald Trump.
  • In 2022, Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act . The legislation allocated hundreds of billions of dollars to promote renewable energy, electric vehicles, and greener manufacturing. He also developed comprehensive new regulations to reduce pollution from automobiles and power plants during his term.
  • Environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, and Earthjustice, say that President Biden performed more environmental policy than any other president in history.

The big picture: Trump’s announcement to withdraw again from the Paris Agreement marks a return to isolationism at a moment when collective global action is most needed. Exiting the deal twice is enough to damage U.S. credibility internationally and sabotage global climate diplomacy. It would also serve as a risky model for other countries to ignore their climate obligations, which could have a cascading effect and undo the progress that has been made collectively.  

  • Countries must submit emission reduction targets and give quarterly progress updates under the terms of the Paris Agreement. Before leaving office, Biden declared a new US goal: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% from peak levels by 2035, which would likely require a quick transition away from fossil fuels.
  • During Trump’s inaugural address on January 20, 2025, he proclaimed a “national energy emergency” and urged oil companies to “drill baby, drill,” that would allow him to reverse many of Biden’s environmental regulations and open up additional places for oil and gas production on protected lands.
Donald Trump at Capitol One Arena giving his inauguration speech. Photo by USNews.com.

Zoom in: Environmental activist groups such as the POWHR Coalition, have taken the next step into fighting against the withdrawal with their own plans. Their current campaign is towards defunding the new Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).  

  • The MVP has been associated with several negative environmental and social impacts such as deforestation, water quality degradation, and lower property value for surrounding areas of the pipeline. 
  • POWHR goes after JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, MUFG, TD Bank, PNC, and Wells Fargo, the top investors of the pipeline. 

Zoom out:  U.S Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), as well as many other experts and officials, have shown their support for the Paris Climate Agreement.

  • “From sea level rise in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore to hurricanes in Southwest Virginia, climate change is affecting us all and threatening the safety of our communities,” said Kaine. “I’m disappointed, but not surprised, by President Trump’s short-sighted withdrawal from the Paris Accords, and that’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing this resolution to express support for the goals of the climate agreement. I remain committed to building on our progress in recent years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve resiliency, accelerate clean energy production, and keep Americans safe.”
  • The America Is All In coalition, which formed following the United States’ initial departure from the Paris Agreement, continues to motivate climate action. These initiatives have increased in power, with bipartisan leadership from the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of 24 states (including Virginia) and territories that represents more than half of the US economy and committed to fulfilling the Paris Agreement’s targets.

What we’re watching: The pullout was a component of a larger plan to decrease funding for renewable energy sources and increase support for fossil fuels. The administration is giving traditional energy sectors precedence over renewable projects and underlying the significance of energy independence.

With the globe experiencing more severe climate consequences, the U.S. decision has prompted other big polluters, such as China, to reevaluate their own pledges to the Paris Agreement. Despite the U.S. position, many nations are moving forward with their climate initiatives.

Relying on fossil fuels might be detrimental to the nation’s long-term interests. The energy transition has great promise for job creation, economic vibrancy, and global competitiveness, as well as for the environmental health of the United States and the world. The U.S may find it more difficult to control those developing sectors in the future if it continues to concentrate on fossil fuels.