Trump’s Policy onn Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change is the average rise in surface temperature on earth due to the use of fossil fuels by humanity. Since the ascendance of the Trump’s Presidency in 2016, the United States has conspicuously withdrawn from climate change agreements, as it is evident with the Paris Accord. Trump’s rejection that the emissions of carbon dioxide are effects of human activities is worrisome. Indeed, this has attracted global criticisms and nations are in search for alternative ways to curtail the unprecedented dangers climate change hurls on its citizens. In this paper, the strategy of Trump’s policy on climate change agreement will be examined, focusing on the consequences of his withdrawal and its effects on sustainable development in Nigeria. Exploring the realist approach that states are main actors in the international arena, struggle for power and act in pursuit of their national interests, Trump’s policy exhibits the primacy of state sovereignty on the issue of climate change agreement. Thus, the withdrawal from the agreement is a re-establishment of the sovereignty of America. Using secondary sources such as journals, books, and the internet, the potential measures to counter the withdrawal and the implication on Nigeria are analyzed as well as a study on the next action for both countries on the climate change, arguing that, the immediate benefits of Trump’s policy would come with future damages, and Nigeria must create strong governance policy and collaborate with regional neighbors.