Expert Welcomes Trump's Pullout from Paris Agreement as a Positive Step

Kozhikode: Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo on Saturday expressed her surprising opinion that US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change could be a favourable move for the world. Speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode, Dufro said that with America pulling out of the pact, other countries like India would have to take action and step up efforts to combat climate change.

According to Duflo, Trump's decision puts pressure on countries like India to take action, as they were heavily reliant on the US for support in addressing the growing threat of climate change. "Climate change is upon us everywhere, and not just in rich countries," she said, emphasizing that the world needs collective action to address this global issue.

Duflo was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics last year alongside Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty. With Trump's announcement on his first day in office, many were disappointed but this French-American economist sees it as a potential silver lining.

The US had previously announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017 before later re-joining in November of that year. However, with this latest move, the effects will be felt for the remainder of Trump's four-year term and beyond.

Experts say that while there may be some benefits to this decision, such as a reduction in leverage for the US at upcoming international gatherings like the COP30 in Brazil this year, many more consequences are severe. The US is no longer contributing funds towards climate action, nor will it make public reports on its greenhouse gas emissions – all actions that significantly make environmental tracking and measurement tougher.

In fact, 2022 was recorded as the hottest year ever, underlining the urgent need for strict measures to curtail global temperature rise from a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In an interesting shift in perspective, it is Duflo's viewpoint on a situation that was anticipated to spark dismay, instead presenting climate activists with renewed motivation.