In response to President Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America said: "President Trump’s reckless move to walk back from international climate commitments is grossly unjust and utterly shortsighted. Worse yet, lives hang in the balance.
"In 2017 and beyond, we at Oxfam will not stand idle as we witness backsliding on climate action and unfounded attacks on science itself. There is no more time to waste. Climate change is one of the only global challenges that affects every single human being on the planet. We will continue to fight.”
Originally published May 31, 2017: Today President Trump signaled he will pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, reversing critical progress on fighting climate change.
Senior White House officials have confirmed that President Trump plans to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement - the global action plan that brought together 194 countries to commit to tackling climate change.
Climate change is one of the most significant threats facing the planet today. We are already seeing these effects where increasing water scarcity and extreme weather are contributing to famine that threatens 30 million lives. Climate change is not just an environmental issue, but one that exacerbates poverty when people’s homes and livelihoods are put at risk. If President Trump pulls out of the Paris Agreement, the world’s most vulnerable people will be in even greater danger. These are the same people who already live on the front-lines of a climate crisis they did not create.
“This will have very serious consequences for millions around the world, especially the poorest and most vulnerable among us, whose lives are on the line because of climate change. More than 13 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia — many who are children — are dangerously hungry and in need of humanitarian assistance, with climate change making things much worse,” said Heather Coleman, Oxfam America’s Climate and Energy Director. "But even without the United States, the world will move forward to fight the most pressing issue of our time.”
The Paris Agreement shows that world leaders recognize the urgency and gravity of the climate crisis and are ready to work together to create solutions. As the world’s second largest carbon emitter, The United States has a moral responsibility to ensure that people experiencing the biggest impacts of climate change are able to protect themselves.
Denying the real effects of climate change and refusing to take action is not acceptable. The consequences are too great to ignore.
Tell President Trump that the US should be a leader in fighting climate change and that you oppose any attempt to rollback climate progress.