President Trump has decided to pull the U.S. out of the historic Paris Agreement on climate change. This agreement marked a critical turning point in efforts to address climate change as it included, for the first time, specific commitments from all major countries and a path to strengthen domestic climate action in the years ahead. Trumps decision is an assault on our childrens future, American companies, and all the countries in the world.

As NRDCs President Rhea Suh put it:

This is a grave and grievous mistake that hurts our country starting now.

Trumps extremism has isolated us from the global coalition we helped to create with China, Germany, India, Japan and 190 other countries to fight the central environmental challenge of our time. Hes sidelined American workers in the clean energy boom thats remaking the global economy. And hes abandoned our children to climate catastrophe.

Its on the rest of us now state and local officials, business leaders, citizens, educators, consumers, activists and congressional members who grasp the stakes for our future - to keep the promise of Paris alive.

President Trump announced that he intends to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement following the procedures outlined in the agreement. As the agreement outlines, the U.S. can formally notify the world that it intends to withdraw from the agreement on Nov. 4, 2019 and that withdrawal doesnt take effect until one year later. So the U.S. wont be formally out of the Agreement until November 4, 2020 after the end of Trumps first term. The next administration should quickly rejoin the Paris Agreement.

Trump is deciding to align against the desires of the American people, American businesses, workers, and the entire world

President Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement goes against the best interest of America as reflected by the broad swath of the U.S. that has argued for staying in the agreement.

The American people overwhelmingly support the Paris Agreement. The vast majority of American 70 percent want the U.S. to stay in this agreement (see figure). That includes the majority of Trump voters.