Is the United States in the Paris Agreement? This question has been a hot topic since former President Donald Trump declared in 2017 that the US would withdraw from the international climate accord. However, things have changed since then, and now there`s a new administration in the White House. So, where do things stand now?

To answer the question directly: yes, the United States is back in the Paris Agreement. In January 2021, newly elected President Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the accord, reversing the previous administration`s decision to withdraw. This move was met with international relief and praise as the US is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world.

But what exactly is the Paris Agreement? It`s a legally binding international treaty adopted in 2015 by 196 countries to combat climate change. The primary goal of the accord is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This is to prevent catastrophic climate change impacts such as sea level rise, extreme weather events, and food insecurity.

Each country that signed the agreement has committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and regularly reporting on their progress. The US initially pledged to reduce emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025. However, under the Trump administration, the country`s obligations were significantly weakened as the president declared that the accord was unfair to the US economy.

Now that the US is back in the accord, the Biden administration has promised to aggressively tackle climate change. The president has already signed several executive orders aimed at creating a cleaner energy economy, including rejoining the Paris Agreement. The US has also vowed to achieve a net-zero emission economy by 2050 and has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

In conclusion, the United States is now back in the Paris Agreement after briefly withdrawing in 2017. President Biden`s administration has promised to prioritize tackling climate change and has set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By recommitting to the accord, the US is once again working with other countries to combat one of the biggest threats to the planet.