For those who care about #climatechange, it’s time to mobilise. Incl. shareholders. Spoke with @HalaGorani on @cnni https://t.co/yoZeKLWDD5

— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) June 2, 2017

On June 1, 2017, ASPI President Kevin Rudd spoke with CNN’s Hala Gorani about the future of global climate leadership now that the United States has decided to leave the Paris Climate Agreement.

Rudd took a particular affinity to President Emmanuel Macron of France’s attitude and statement of “let’s make the planet great again,” saying that it captures “the global feeling at the moment." Rudd pointed out that what we do about climate change is “not just an American decision” as it impacts people across national boundaries. 

As to who might fill the gap in global climate leadership, Rudd said that “the hope for the Western side lies somewhere between Macron and [Angela] Merkel if she’s reelected, and the hope for the Eastern side lies with China." As for the United States, Rudd hopes it “sees sense and comes back into the system before it’s too late.” Though it will take years to fully withdraw from the agreement, Rudd warned that with “decisions such as this, chip by chip, bit by bit, the global moral authority of U.S. leadership starts to crack. Whether it’s on trade, whether it’s on climate.” (6 min., 44 sec.)