The United States stands alone as the only country on the planet to reject the Paris Accord.
President Trump’s withdrawal, after President Obama was fundamental in forming the agreement, means an abandonment of leadership just as the rest of the world’s governments and companies are moving forward to combat climate change. Arguments about who should act, and how, shape international negotiations. Meanwhile, China has already asserted itself as the new leader on clean energy by launching initiatives and announcing global partnerships. Is climate change a geopolitical crisis in the making?
The panel was moderated by David Leonhardt, an op-ed columnist for The New York Times. It features Christiana Figueres, the convenor of Mission 2020, a global effort to peak greenhouse emissions by 2020, and Todd Stern, who lead the US effort in negotiating the Paris Agreement.
Aspen Public Radio's Elizabeth Stewart-Severy sat down with Stern before the discussion.
