WASHINGTON (JUNE 1, 2017) – President Trump announced today his intent to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, the 2015 milestone accord under which 196 nations committed to pursue efforts to limit the increase in the global average temperature to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:

“Climate change is real, and it is the greatest challenge facing our planet. Wildlife and their habitat, as well as human communities and economies worldwide, are at risk because of rising seas, severe weather and a rapidly changing environment.

“President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement is short-sighted and narrow-minded. It will set back decades of hard-fought efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and consign millions to a less prosperous and secure future. We owe a debt to our children and grandchildren to protect our world and secure a clean and prosperous future, and the Paris Agreement was an enormous step towards this goal.

“How can America be great when our leaders ignore and deny the siege we are under by a rapidly changing climate? Today, President Trump has not only turned his back on wildlife, he has also abandoned any pretense of moral leadership in the world.”

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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