In Bonn, Germany, a coalition of U.S. cities, companies, universities and faith groups have opened a 2,500-square-meter pavilion outside the U.N. climate conference called “We are Still In”—an effort to persuade other countries that wide swaths of the United States are still committed to the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord. This is Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Alden Meyer: “We are Still In is a coalition of mayors, governors, business leaders, university presidents, NGOs and others that are committed to meeting America’s obligations under the Paris Agreement. … Well, actually, the public opinion polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans support Paris. They want the U.S. to provide leadership. They don’t support what President Trump did. Even a majority of Trump’s own voters support more clean energy, solar energy, clean cars. They like the solutions to climate change. And, of course, in the wake of the recent extreme weather events—Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Maria—there’s increasing recognition that the costs of not doing something on climate change could be quite astronomical.”