Nations around the world take cues from U.S. climate insurgents
MADRID — The U.S. political and business leaders who have trekked to this month’s U.N. climate conference stand no chance of preventing the Trump administration from exiting the Paris agreement. But their tactics are inspiring imitators around the globe.
Local and regional governments from countries such as Vietnam, Argentina, South Africa, Mexico and Japan are joining with climate activists and businesses to promote actions to cut greenhouse gases — often in direct conflict with their national governments’ plans to ramp up investments in fossil fuels. They’re taking a cue from the climate split inside the United States, where states like California and New York and more than 2,200 businesses and investors are pledging their support for the 2015 Paris pact despite President Donald Trump’s plan to abandon it.
