Barack Obama · Democratic · Major Decision
Joining the Paris Climate Agreement
Sep 3, 2016
Barack ObamaEnergy & EnvironmentMajor DecisionSecond term (2013–17)
📜 View the official record on federalregister.gov
What happened
Negotiated and formally joined the 2015 Paris Agreement, committing the U.S. to greenhouse-gas reductions as the world's second-largest emitter.
How it happened
U.S.-China cooperation drove the 2015 deal; the U.S. formally joined in September 2016.
Documented impact
Positive impactsubstantiated
Anchored the first near-universal global climate accord.
U.S. leadership was widely credited as decisive in securing nearly 200 nations' participation.
Negative impactcontested
Critics called the targets costly and non-binding.
Opponents argued the pledges burdened U.S. industry; the U.S. later exited twice under Trump.
Public opinion
📊 Public opinion
U.S. participation in the Paris Agreement
Support participation65%
Majorities in every state supported participation; 86% of Democrats vs. 42% of Republicans.
Sources
Every claim above links to its source. Primary record and cited reporting: