This Is What the Paris Climate Accord Will Do to America

With the Paris Climate Accord more or less a “done deal”—despite no formal ratification of the treaty by Congress—Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned Americans of the consequences.

He pointed to a report by the Heritage Foundation that found policies adopted by the Obama administration as a direct result of the “climate change protocol” will hurt a variety of sectors of the American economy. The loss of GDP by 2035 would total more than $2.5 trillion.

It also found the regulations would increase the electricity costs for a family of four by at least 13 percent a year. Additionally, they would lose more than $20,000 in income. All of that for “little, if any, environmental benefit.”

“Energy is a key building block for economic opportunity,” the report stated. “Carbon-emitting fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, provided 87 percent of America’s energy needs in the past decade.

“Restricting the use of conventional energy sources as laid out by the Obama administration will significantly harm the U.S. economy—and average Americans. Policymakers should make every effort to prevent implementation of these harmful environmental regulations.”

The Trump campaign unloaded on the deal with the following statement from Deputy Policy Director Dan Kowalski:

Politicians like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continue to make bad deals that undermine the interests of the American people. The Paris Accord is just the latest example. Hillary Clinton and other supporters of this global political agreement ignore the reality that it will cost the American economy trillions of dollars. It will also impose enormous costs on American households through higher electricity prices and higher taxes. More of our coal miners will be forced out of work and it will penalize workers in states with abundant shale energy resources too.

As troubling, this deal allows China—the world’s largest polluter—to increase emissions for more than a dozen years, while the U.S. makes drastic cuts beginning right now. The president of the United States should be fighting for the best interests of American workers, not giving China another unfair, competitive advantage. And if President Obama and Hillary Clinton believe this global climate deal is so significant and historic, then they shouldn’t continue to avoid submitting it for a vote to the United States Senate, as the Constitution requires.

Unlike President Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Trump-Pence administration will work with Congress and the States to achieve shared environmental goals. We will take immediate steps to refocus EPA on its core mission: clean air and clean water for all Americans, regardless of race or income. We will invest in our drinking water infrastructure to prevent tragedies like what took place in Flint, Michigan. We will also work with Congress, the States, and the private sector to take prudent steps that will have a positive emissions reduction impact, while also making America stronger and more prosperous.

As our nation considers these issues, Mr. Trump and Gov. Pence appreciate that many scientists are concerned about greenhouse gas emissions. We need America’s scientists to continue studying the scientific issues but without political agendas getting in the way. We also need to be vigilant to defend the interests of the American people in any efforts taken on this front.

By contrast, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called global warming “the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges we face as a nation and a world.” And her running mate, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, said at Tuesday night’s debate that battling climate change was on equal footing with battling terrorism.