The annual climate change conference was in session in Marrakesh, Morocco, when results of the 2016 US Presidential election came in. The victory of Donald Trump, surprising at the time, came as a shock to a majority of the participants at the conference. Some of the veteran climate activists, men and women who had worked for years to make a global agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions a reality, were unable to hold their tears.
On his campaign trail, Trump had described climate change as a “hoax”, and had promised to walk out of the landmark Paris Agreement that had been finalised just a year earlier. Trump delivered on his promise within six months of his presidency. Many of his other decisions during the presidency, on coal and clean energy, were also seen to be deeply detrimental to the climate objectives. With Trump set to make an exit from the White House on January 20 next year, the part of his legacy to be undone first
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