President Anthony Monaco signs open letter committing to support the Paris Agreement
Tufts University has joined a group of more than 1,200 cities, states, corporations and nonprofits pledging to uphold the goals of the Paris climate accord following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the agreement. More than 180 universities have signed the pledge.
On June 6, President Anthony Monaco signed an open letter to the international community sponsored by the sustainability organization Second Nature promising to “pursue ambitious climate goals” and to “ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions,” even without federal support.
Tufts has a strong connection to the Paris agreement: Fletcher professor Kelly Sims Gallagher, F00, F03, and Fletcher alum Daniel Reifsnyder, F14, worked behind the scenes to help deliver the deal.
The “We Are Still In” statement declares that Trump’s decision undermines the fight against climate change and is out of step with the actions that local and state governments, businesses and nonprofits have taken in recent years to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“Together, we will remain actively engaged with the international community as part of the global effort to hold warming to well below 2°C and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy that will benefit our security, prosperity, and health,” reads the letter.
