NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced April 25 that he has joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in urging President Trump to reconfirm the Unites States’ commitment to and cooperation with the Paris Climate Agreement.
“I’m proud to stand with my fellow attorneys generals in support of the Paris Agreement because we know how essential it is to mitigating climate change’s growing harm to our global health, environments, and economies,” Schneiderman said. “If the Trump administration refuses to uphold its legal obligation to New Yorkers' public health and environment, I am prepared to use every tool in my power to protect our people and our state.”
The Paris Climate Agreement was agreed to by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 at the COP21 in Paris. The attorneys general believe climate change affects not only the environment but every citizen’s health and well-being. Additionally, the matter is one of national security for the U.S.
“The Paris Agreement, by securing commitments from countries the world over, reflects this collective interdependency and constitutes an unprecedented global effort to address a problem threatening the well-being of everyone on Earth," the coalition said. "The United States showed exemplary leadership in the years-long effort to secure the Paris Agreement, and our nation should continue to lead by fulfilling its promise to abide by and implement this historic accord.”
The states involved in the coalition are Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, the District of Columbia and American Samoa.