Analysis & Opinions - The Mark News

Filling the (Green) Vacuum

| Mar. 06, 2017

If the U.S withdraws from the climate arena, China could seize the opportunity to fill the vacuum and, in turn, exercise greater leadership in global affairs.

The transition from President Obama to President Trump has triggered fears that the new administration will overturn many of the policies, programs and successes of the last eight years. These fears are especially strong concerning the issue of climate change.

While the policies of the new White House are still unclear, President Trump has appointed a number of people who have opposed the climate initiatives and, in some cases, expressed skepticism that the human induced climate threat even exists.

The concern in many circles is that the administration will walk away from the Paris Agreement and repudiate the ambitious emission reduction targets set out in the U.S.-China bilateral agreement signed by Presidents Obama and Xi Jinping in November 2014.

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For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation: Lee, Henry and Pu Wang.“Filling the (Green) Vacuum.” The Mark News, March 6, 2017.

The Authors

Henry Lee

Henry Lee

  • Director, Environment and Natural Resources Program
  • Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
  • Member of the Board, Belfer Center
  • Faculty Affiliate, Middle East Initiative
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