After winning Donald trump in the presidential election in the United States, the international community became alarmed: the problem of global climate change in the global agenda — on the second place after terrorism, and trump during the election campaign made clear that “green” values his priority are not. What followed and what is the reaction of the international community?
During the election campaigns trump clearly explained his position on the issue of climate change and the further development of energy. First, he threatened to cancel state support of projects in the field of renewable energy sources (RES). Second, promised to stimulate new projects in the field of mineral, hydrocarbon, energy (subsidies to the coal industry, oil and gas extraction). Hydrocarbon energy the world community is trying to replace renewable — stimulirovaniye renewable energy sources — solar, wind, water.
Already as President trump, among other things, abolished by the previous administration introduced regulatory measures to protect the environment in the operation of coal mines, which were designed to protect about 9.6 thousand km of rivers and more than 21 thousand hectares of forest.
Trump also announced the intention to reduce compensation for so-called environmental externalities inherent in the price of fossil fuels, cost of damage to the environment during their use.
How bad is it?
In February 2017, the daughter of the President of the United States Ivanka trump allegedly talked his father out of the climate agreement. The world hoped that the United States will remain in the climate-clip. But… not the Donald trump’s temperament, that someone in something to convince.
1 Jun trump announced U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.
Let me remind you, the Paris agreement intended to bring countries together to combat climate change and its consequences. Tools for this are the principles of energy efficiency, renewable energy development, introduction of electric vehicles and other innovative technologies.
The EU and separately France, Germany, UK, Canada and other countries in the face of its first leaders immediately contacted the trump on the phone and “expressed his regret about this decision.”
By trump their decisions justified by the fact that the conditions of the Paris agreement could cost the U.S. 2.7 million jobs lost by 2025 Policy of supporting the coal industry, he explains the creation of new jobs in the industry.
Trump became President, including the three “coal” States — Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, which have traditionally voted either 50/50 or for the Democrats. According to the ex-mayor of new York, adviser to trump Rudolph Giuliani, the main campaign promise that persuaded the scales in his direction was the creation of jobs in the coal sector.
As a responsible politician, trump performs promises. On the other hand, for a statesman is irresponsible to try to obtain immediate benefits, which in the short term will result in much greater losses.
Of course, state support of the coal industry initially will create jobs. But “green” energy in 2015 employed 8.1 million workers. Only in the “solar” energy jobs have more than in the whole of the oil and gas industry! For example, in Texas — historically, the oil and gas capital of trump voted more owners of solar panels, the employees of the oil and gas industry.
Another example. Chinese wind turbine manufacturer GoldWind is going to install in the traditionally coal-Wyoming 850 wind turbines. Simultaneously with the application of trump’s company announced the opening of free retraining for the unemployed of the coal industry. The training will help the former miners to work on the construction and operation of wind energy installations.
The undeniable benefits of renewable energy indicate that in the future, under market pressure, the volume of production of fossil fuels will decrease. And those thousands of Americans who get jobs thanks to the policy of trump now in a few years will once again be without work.
Some commentators accused the business environment of the President of the United States in lobbying of interests of oil and gas and mining sectors. Just like in Ukraine.
So should we expect that all “green” initiatives in the US will come to naught and the country will forget about renewable energy and energy efficiency?
It’s not so bad!
All it would have been, if not for the firm position of local self-government, defending the interests of their communities. In the US, politicians are immeasurably greater political responsibility to their constituents, than in Ukraine. If the citizens elected them, demanding solutions for the implementation of energy efficiency measures and development of renewable energy, the policies will do, no matter what.
Colleagues of Deputy interfractional Association “Green energy of change” we met with the leadership of Philadelphia last winter, when I was in the “green expedition” in the United States. Even then, it was felt that a conflict with the policy of the new administration. The city’s leadership, did not mince words about the intentions trump out of the climate agreement, said: “Washington we cannot decree our own obligations to the citizens who have elected us”.
No sooner said than done. Already 274 American mayor, including Philadelphia, said that they will carry out the Paris agreement at the level of their towns despite the Federal policy of Washington. For a moment, it is about 58 million Americans, almost one-fifth of the U.S. population.
Association of politicians and businessmen headed by the former new York mayor Michael Bloomberg. Being a billionaire, he announced the intention to allocate up to $ 15 million to support the activities of the Executive Secretariat of the UN framework Convention on climate change. “We will do all the things that would make America, remaining in the agreement,” said Bloomberg. He was joined by the governors of the States of Washington, new York and California, the mayors of Los Angeles, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and salt lake city, creating the American climate Alliance (AKA).
Announcing the release of the Paris agreement, trump said that he was elected in Pittsburgh and not in Paris. What the mayor of Pittsburgh said that the city will continue to implement the Paris agreement, and the vast majority of voters voted against trump.
Except the politicians and the manual States there is still a large and influential company-the supporters of “green” energy. It’s Google, Facebook, Tesla, Apple. The head of Tesla Motors and SpaceX Elon Musk in protest against the “antizelenye” presidential politicians have left the Board for business at the trump, which included in December 2016.
The former head of the U.S. Agency for environmental protection (EPA) Gina McCarthy, in his article for Foreign Policy writes: “the Proven economic benefits of political measures for the development of environmentally friendly energy sources (e.g., tax incentives for wind and solar power) has spurred our fast-growing industry of clean energy, has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the category of the middle class and greatly accelerated economic growth.”
In the United States will continue to work the so-called green banks. They Fund a wide range of “green” areas — from energy efficiency to renewable energy. Created thanks to the financial support of the state, they have become profitable and subsidies from the budget do not need. They are called one of the new energy trends in the United States.
By the way, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 8 June 2017 adopted the Law On “energy efficiency Fund” — the creation of a prototype of such a Bank in Ukraine. Of course, to the “green Bank” we are still far, but there is no limit to perfection.
Vector this sustainable “green” course in the United States gave political leadership of Barack Obama. Predecessors trump was able to coordinate the actions of different ministries and agencies that acted like a Swan, cancer and pike.
Was applied great efforts to synchronize the state policy in the spheres of energy and ecology and ensure sustainable economic growth. The white house then worked closely with different authorities to coordinate the various policies and development plans. The consistency of their work made it possible to successfully fight climate change and develop renewable energy.
Today, the United States became the first country, announced its withdrawal from the Paris agreement, and may join the two countries that have never signed — Syria, and Nicaragua.
Whereas a year ago the USA was the chief lobbyist for the adoption of the “climate” of the agreement.
People have already felt the benefits of development of green economy, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Begins to work the law of the market — demand will generate a proposal that there would not be decided trump. Of course, the US President has a decisive influence on foreign policy. But inside the country, without government support, new technologies will continue to evolve, driven by natural technological progress. Unfortunately, when this is lost the pace.
Lessons for Ukraine
For a country that is opposed to military aggression, combating climate change is not a priority. And perceived, often, as a problem, far from the urgent needs of the people. However, climate policy has a very practical results — the reduction of tariffs for utilities in energy efficiency, availability of renewable energy, improving the health of the population through improved environmental conditions, introduction of new production technologies and reducing the cost of goods.
In US history, individual States is not the first time oppose the Federal policy of Washington. The Parallels with the history of Ukraine suggest themselves, don’t have to look far for an example — after the revolution of Dignity was only 3.5 years…
I do not claim that climate protest in the Ukrainian cities possible in the near future. However, the good news that our mayor is also “not past zadni” in the “green” issues. So, 72 of the mayor of cities-members of Association “energy Efficient cities of Ukraine” and 110 Ukrainian cities-signatories of the Covenant of mayors on climate and energy signed an appeal to the Ukrainian authorities demanding the enactment of a bill that “will allow to reduce expenses for the payment and maintenance of buildings, to reduce anthropogenic pressure on the environment and provide comfort to the citizens.”
This trend will only increase, and soon in Ukraine there will be new young leaders, including political, aware of the importance of the climate issue. In the world — the United States and Ukraine is no exception — the youth is always the driving force for introducing new ideas for development.
These leaders have the courage to defend their position, even if it would go contrary to the position of the Central government. Besides, we have introduced decentralization, which increases the responsibility of local leadership to the community.
The Verkhovna Rada has the first “green shoots” in February, my colleagues — representatives of various political forces — created Interfactional Association “Green energy for change”, uniting people from all factions under the “green” agenda. And let our government continues to subsidize fossil energy, and the President’s administration is lobbying for the interests of the monopolists, — the US experience proves that if your policy is aimed at taking care of future generations and the welfare of society and not for profit corporations, all obstacles can be overcome, despite the name of the leader of the state.
