AIA Rebukes Trump
John Hill
6. 11月 2019
Our warming planet (Image: NASA)
Following Monday's formal notification from the Trump administration to the United Nations that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the American Institute of Architects issued a statement deploring the "shortsighted decision."
Monday's news about Donald Trump's latest action against combatting climate change is hardly surprising, given that in June 2017 he first announced the intended withdrawal. That announcement was met immediately with opposition statements from the AIA and other architecture organizations, though Monday's news indicates they fell on deaf ears. Nevertheless, after the AIA's own "tone-deaf" statement commitment to work "with [then] President-elect Trump to address the issues our country faces" following Trump's election, it's good to see them on the side of reason. Their November 5 statement is below in full.
The AIA deplores the administration's shortsighted decision. The economic impact to the United States as a participant in the Paris Agreement is a fraction of the toll we will pay if we do not make climate action a top priority as a nation. The stakes couldn’t be higher — a reversal of this decision is critical.
Yesterday’s abdication of America's leadership on climate action undermines our nation’s credibility on the global stage. As a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and as one of the most sophisticated countries in the world, we are capable of reducing these harmful effects on the environment. In order to move the needle on this global crisis, it will take the efforts of every industry, every company, and every citizen of the United States as well as the leadership of the United States government. The AIA will continue to prioritize climate action in an effort to support architects — and the entire design and construction field — in this critical role.