During brief exchanges with reporters, President Trump said he would announce “very soon” whether he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate treaty, adding, “I’m hearing from a lot of people, both ways.” There were widespread reports that the White House has decided on withdrawal.
The Renewable Fuels Association, a trade group for biofuels, said there would be no damage to the ethanol market at home or abroad if the United States withdraws, reported DTN. “But other major businesses in the agricultural supply chain are urging the White House not to walk away from the Paris agreement.” Major companies such as Cargill, Coca-Cola, Dow, DuPont, General Mills and Walmart are among companies that urged the administration to remain part of the global agreement on mitigating climate change.
The United States committed in the Paris agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by as much as 28 percent from 2005 levels, said DTN. The commitment creates an opening for clean energy, it said. The RFA told DTN that ethanol is a cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline so “as other countries continue their efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the need for biofuels such as ethanol only grows.”