COP 26: Biden apologises for US pulling out of Paris Climate Accords under Donald Trump

President Joe Biden on Monday at the COP 26 summit apologised on behalf of his predecessor Donald Trump‘s administration for pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord.

“I guess I shouldn’t apologise, but I do apologize for the fact that the United States — the last administration — pulled out of the Paris Accords and put us sort of behind the 8 ball,” Biden said at United Nation’s ongoing Climate Change conference in Glasgow, according to CNN reports.

“Our meeting here in Glasgow isn’t the end of the journey… we all know this,” Biden said at the event, adding it’s “really just a starting line.”

“We have the tools I think we have the know bow and we have the resources. I think we have to make some choices,” Biden added.

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The Biden administration has faced the heat to demonstrate America’s commitment towards climate change. Soon after being inaugurated in January this year, Biden quickly tried to make his mark by shifting environmental policy, making aggressive climate mitigation a priority and rejoining the Paris Climate Accord after former president Donald Trump exited the pact.

Yet, world leaders have wondered how durable his promises can be when political changes can cause the country to drastically change course. 

Furthermore, Biden acknowledged the role that the United States and other wealthy countries had to play in climate change.

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“Those of us who are responsible for much of the deforestation and all of the problems we have so far,” Biden said, have “overwhelming obligations” to the poorer nations that account for few of the emissions yet are paying a price as the planet has grown hotter.

“There’s no more time to hang back or sit on the fence or argue amongst ourselves. This is a challenge of our collective lifetimes. The existential threat, threat to human existence as we know it, and every day we delay the cost of inaction increases. So let this be the moment that we answer history’s call here in Glasgow,” the US president added.

With inputs from the Associated Press