Here's the breakdown — Part I
The fact-checkers at The Washington Post want to have their cake and eat it, too. They say the Accord would be non-binding, and therefore, nothing would stop the United States from building more coal plants, or force China and India to build fewer.
If that's the case, why does anyone care about the agreement to begin with? Well, they care because despite its non-binding nature, the agreement would be understood as socially binding. Every time the U.S. violated the "non-binding" agreement, environmentalists and the press would swoop in and castigate the administration for sabotaging the "spirit of the Accord." The scolding would ring out across the land, blanketing news coverage and damaging the administration.
On the other hand, if China and India failed to meet their admittedly less rigorous requirements, reprimands from U.S. and European media would mean less than nothing.
Additionally, Trump is correct when he states that the Accord offers a lopsided advantage to China and India. Oren Cass of Commentary writes:
The Left Fact-Checks Trump’s Speech By Making Things Up. As Always.
TRUMP: "China will be allowed to build hundreds of additional coal plants. So, we can’t build the plants, but they can, according to this agreement. India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020."
WAPO: This is false. The agreement is nonbinding and each nation sets its own targets. There is nothing in the agreement that stops the United States from building coal plants or gives the permission to China or India to build coal plants. In fact, market forces, primarily reduced costs for natural gas, have forced the closure of coal plants. China announced this year that it would cancel plans to build more than 100 coal-fired plants.
WAPO: This is false. The agreement is nonbinding and each nation sets its own targets. There is nothing in the agreement that stops the United States from building coal plants or gives the permission to China or India to build coal plants. In fact, market forces, primarily reduced costs for natural gas, have forced the closure of coal plants. China announced this year that it would cancel plans to build more than 100 coal-fired plants.
The fact-checkers at The Washington Post want to have their cake and eat it, too. They say the Accord would be non-binding, and therefore, nothing would stop the United States from building more coal plants, or force China and India to build fewer.
If that's the case, why does anyone care about the agreement to begin with? Well, they care because despite its non-binding nature, the agreement would be understood as socially binding. Every time the U.S. violated the "non-binding" agreement, environmentalists and the press would swoop in and castigate the administration for sabotaging the "spirit of the Accord." The scolding would ring out across the land, blanketing news coverage and damaging the administration.
On the other hand, if China and India failed to meet their admittedly less rigorous requirements, reprimands from U.S. and European media would mean less than nothing.
Additionally, Trump is correct when he states that the Accord offers a lopsided advantage to China and India. Oren Cass of Commentary writes:
China committed to begin reducing emissions by 2030, roughly when its economic development would have caused this to happen regardless. India made no emissions commitment, pledging only to make progress on efficiency—at half the rate it had progressed in recent years. Pakistan outdid the rest, submitting a single page that offered to “reduce its emissions after reaching peak levels to the extent possible.” This is a definition of the word “peak,” not a commitment...
The Left Fact-Checks Trump’s Speech By Making Things Up. As Always.