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Fact check: China, India, and the Paris Climate Agreement
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt
June 21, 2017
By Sara Reynolds
In a June 5 appearance on "The Story with Martha McCallum," EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said that the Paris Climate Agreement "did not hold China and India accountable," and that "India didn't have to take any steps in the agreement to reduce CO2 emissions until they received $2.5 trillion in aid. China didn't have to take any steps until the year 2030."[1]
Is this true?
Each signatory to the Paris Climate Agreement is required to submit a plan, called a nationally determined contribution, detailing emissions reductions.[2] There is no penalty if China, India, or any other signatory does not achieve those targets.[3]
Under the Paris agreement, developed countries such as the United States pledge to provide funding and technical support to developing countries such as India and China to assist with emissions reductions. The agreement does not specify how much funding will be provided, nor does it name the recipient countries.[4][3]
In its nationally determined contribution, India estimated that it would need "at least USD 2.5 trillion" in aid by 2030 to achieve its emissions reduction targets.[5]
In its nationally determined contribution, China forecast it would reach peak emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 2030, at the latest. (This means that China will not reduce CO2 emissions, on net, until after 2030, unless it peaks earlier.) China also outlined emissions reduction activities that it plans to undertake before 2030, such as developing renewable energies; increasing forested areas; and developing more intensified low-carbon alternatives.[6]
Background
Scott Pruitt is the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He previously served as the attorney general of Oklahoma (2011 to 2017) and in the Oklahoma State Senate (1998 to 2006).[7]
Paris Climate Agreement
In September 2016, President Barack Obama committed the United States to join more than 190 countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of preventing the global average temperature from increasing by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels and to limit any temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100.[8][3]
On June 1, President Donald Trump announced the U.S.' withdrawal from the agreement.[9]
Aid to Developing Countries
Article 9 of the agreement stipulates that developed countries "shall provide financial resources to assist developing country Parties" with mitigation and adaptation efforts. It also encourages developed countries to "take the lead in mobilizing climate finance from a wide variety of sources, instruments and channels, noting the significant role of public funds" and says that "[s]uch mobilization of climate finance should represent a progression beyond previous efforts."[3]
Article 10 of the agreement states that developed countries shall provide "[s]upport, including financial support," to developing countries for technology development and transfer.[3]
Additionally, developed countries were "strongly urge[d]" to increase their financial support for developing countries, building on a joint goal of $100 billion per year by 2020, and to increase that goal before 2025.[10][3]
India
The agreement does not specify the amount of aid India will receive or the steps the country must take to receive aid.[3]
In its nationally determined contribution plan, India declared its intent to reduce emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 33 to 35 percent over 2005 levels by 2030; to increase electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuels; and to create a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of CO2 emissions.[11][5]
The plan estimated India's "international climate finance needs" to be "at least USD 2.5 trillion (at 2014-2015 prices)" between 2016 and 2030.[5]
China
In its nationally determined contribution, China detailed four goals to achieve by 2030 (or earlier): (1) to reach peak CO2 emissions; (2) to reduce CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent from the 2005 level; (3) to increase consumption of non-fossil fuels; and (4) to increase forest stock volume by 4.5 billion cubic meters over 2005 levels.[6]
Pledging to reach “peak” CO2 emissions by 2030 means that carbon dioxide emissions will not continue to rise, on net, after 2030. Chinese officials claim that the country has already lowered CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 33.8 percent of 2005 levels; increased use of non-fossil fuels; increased forested areas compared to 2005 levels; and increased renewable energy capacity.[6]
Conclusion
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, appearing on "The Story with Martha McCallum," said that the Paris Climate Agreement "did not hold China and India accountable," and that "India didn't have to take any steps in the agreement to reduce CO2 emissions until they received $2.5 trillion in aid. China didn't have to take any steps until the year 2030."[1]
Developed countries have pledged to provide $100 billion annually to assist developing countries in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The agreement does not specify how much developing countries will receive. However, India estimated a financial need of "at least USD 2.5 trillion" in aid by 2030 to achieve its objectives.[3][5]
China has pledged to reach peak CO2 emissions by 2030, at the latest, and outlined other programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[6]
See also
- Fact check: Would the Clean Power Plan mitigate climate change?
- Federal policy on the Paris Climate Agreement, 2017
- Federal policy on climate change, 2017
- Climate change
Sources and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fox News, "EPA head Pruitt: Paris climate change agreement 'all hat and no cattle,'" June 5, 2017
- ↑ The nationally determined contributions are slated for review every five years and can be changed at any time. The agreement features a framework for tracking progress, but there is no penalty for failing to achieve the emissions targets. See footnote 3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, "Adoption of the Paris Agreement," December 12, 2015
- ↑ The Paris Climate Agreement references "developed" and "developing" countries but does not provide any definitions for these terms. However, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change divides countries into three main groups: (1) Annex I countries: industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition; (2) Annex II countries: only industrialized countries; (3) Non-Annex I countries: all other parties to the convention. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, "Parties & Observers," accessed June 15, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, "India's intended nationally determined contribution," October 2, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, "Enhanced actions on climate change: China's intended nationally determined contributions," September 3, 2016
- ↑ United States Environmental Protection Agency, "EPA's Administrator," accessed June 20, 2017
- ↑ The White House, "President Obama: The United States Formally Enters the Paris Agreement," September 3, 2016
- ↑ The White House, "President Trump Announces U.S. Withdrawal From the Paris Climate Accord," June 1, 2017
- ↑ Carbon Brief, "Paris 2015: Tracking requests for climate finance," September 17, 2015
- ↑ A carbon sink absorbs more carbon that it emits. Fern, "What are carbon sinks?" accessed June 20, 2017
Launched in October 2015 and active through October 2018, Fact Check by Ballotpedia examined claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluated claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. As of 2025, Ballotpedia staff periodically review these articles to revaluate and reaffirm our conclusions. Please email us with questions, comments, or concerns about these articles. To learn more about fact-checking, click here.
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