AMERICAN POLICY ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PARIS AGREEMENT

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF OBAMA AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DURING THE ERA OF 2009 TO 2021

Abstract

This article provides a comparative analysis of the U.S policy on climate change and the Paris Agreement during the administrations of Obama and Trump. The Obama administration (2009-2017) focused on climate change and took important legislative initiatives. On the other hand, there were many hurdles in implementing policies on climate change. The Trump administration (2017-2021) didn’t focus on climate change policy. After pulling out from the Paris Agreement, it supported the fossil fuel sector, which caused stress on diplomatic interactions and concerns about climate change progress. The Obama administration received extensive attention from the media, which portrayed climate change as an important environmental issue, appreciating his policies. However, Trump's propaganda campaigns declined climate change concerns and prioritized energy dominance, dividing public opinion and suppressing confrontation. The Trump administration's skeptical approach and decision to pull out from the Paris Accord jeopardized international cooperation and progress toward global climate goals. Here, the study has raised the question of what ways the approaches and commitments to climate change under the Obama and Trump administrations were different, and what key factors drove these differences? Reviewing the existing literature, the stud has hypothesized that the Obama administration's resolve to address climate change policy enhanced technology transfers, and harmonization of environmental policy with global cooperation, while Trump administration's strategy blocked harmonization of environmental policy and advancements, which escalated climate-related geopolitical conflicts in the real world as this policy was based on the prioritization of national interests. To examine these aspects, the study had adopted a descriptive and analytical approach, as climate change is not merely an ecological issue but a big challenge to the worldwide community that requires necessary collaboration and innovative solutions to a more sustainable future.