Several U.S. States, Cities Remain Committed To Paris Agreement

At least 10 states and a slew of U.S. cities have signaled that they are committing to the Paris climate accord despite President Trump's decision last week to withdraw the U.S. from the pact.

The 10 states that have signed onto the alliance include California, New York, Washington, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, Oregon and Hawaii. All of the states governors are Democrats except those representing Massachusetts and Vermont.

Nine other states and Washington, D.C. have also reportedly said that they plan to abide by the guidelines of the Paris agreement. Major cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia have also indicated that they will also do so as well.

Some of the governors are part of a group that also includes companies, mayors and university presidents that are planning to present a plan to the United Nations that would meet the greenhouse-gas emission targets under the Paris climate agreement that President Trump pulled the U.S. out of on Thursday, The New York Times reported. The group has been organized by former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change. On Monday, Bloomberg submitted a "state of unity" from the group stating that, "these groups will take vigorous and ambitious actions to address climate change, and we will communicate those actions in a transparent and accountable way to the U.N. The United States can, and will, meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement." The group intends to eventually submit a "Societal Nationally Determined Contribution" to the U.N.

Mr. Trump announced Thursday that he is pulling the U.S. out of the Paris agreement, which was one of President Obama's major achievements in office. The withdrawal process could take up to three years.

The pact is aimed at combating climate change around the world and helping nations adapt to its effects by requiring countries to present plans to reduce carbon emissions. Specifically, it requires countries to set their own targets for reducing emissions by 2020. The Obama administration, for example, had committed the U.S. to reducing carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025. The agreement also established a $100 billion fund to help vulnerable countries deal with the effects of climate change.

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