Dear Members of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network,
Last week’s announcement by Donald Trump to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Accord is a shameless action that aims to break the global progress on sustainable development. It will not succeed. The world’s course is set, even if determined plutocrats and reactionaries like Trump think otherwise. Your leadership and our work together in SDSN will be an important bulwark of global progress. Truth and morality will triumph over lies and cynicism.
In the attached article I explain the political roots of Trump’s action. The core driver of his decision is the stranglehold of the oil and gas lobby, and notably the Koch Brothers, on the US Congress. This corrupt and powerful force has been at work for two decades preventing the true interests and voice of the American people from being heard. The link is here: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trump-political-masters-koch-brothers-by-jeffrey-d-sachs-2017-05
We will have many occasions in the coming weeks to think about the best responses to Trump’s reckless actions. For the meantime, please remain strong, steadfast, and public in your strong support for the Paris Climate Agreement and for global cooperation to achieve its success. We will follow up with you soon on next steps.
With admiration and gratitude,
Jeff Sachs