Leaving the Paris Agreement: The United States’ Disengagement from the Global Climate Regime and its Impact on EU Climate Diplomacy

Abstract:

On 1 June 2017, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States (US) from the Paris Agreement on climate change. This paper examines to what extent this decision has had an impact on the climate diplomacy of the European Union (EU). In light of US disengagement, questions have been raised about the future viability of the global climate regime.

The paper argues that Trump’s ability to roll back climate legislation domestically is relatively restricted, while his impact has been more pronounced on the international level. Overall, US disengagement has created a leadership gap, which has strengthened the EU’s actorness and provided it with an opportunity to increase its external engagement in the field. Even though the EU is still in a process of strategic adjustment, three important adaptations can be identified: First, the EU has strengthened its cooperation with key partner countries such as China and Canada. Second, the EU increasingly frames climate change issues in terms of energy cooperation and security in its bilateral relations with the US. Third, the EU’s engagement with local and regional actors has been significantly reinforced.