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Is it likely that the E.U. and China and other countries would impose economic and/or political sanctions on The United States of America for withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, and under what legal framework would this be achieved?

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  • Not actually sanctions, and thus a comment: A nation is a brand. After damaging a brand, the brand's products will sell less. For example, some Trump fans are now less likely to buy German cars after recent tweets, and at the same time people concerned about the environment worldwide are now less likely to buy American products.
    – Peter
    Jun 2, 2017 at 15:05

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In terms of sanctions, the agreement does not permit any countries to enact sanctions against another country for withdrawing/failing to abide by the agreement. The agreement only holds countries to the standards that they have set for themselves.

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  • Of course the actual agreement is non binding - more of a statement that everyone wants to do something about climate change and some goals they will try and meet. However surely that doesnt preclude sanctions against the U.S. from another framework. There were sanctions placed on Russia after the annexation of Crimea, sanctions against the N.Korea isolationist dictatorship etc. Would there not be sanctions or the threat of sanctions for the U.S. isolationist stance? Jun 2, 2017 at 13:05
  • I mean, sure, any country could impose sanctions on the U.S. for any given reason at any given time. But that's just conjecture. I don't know what the geopolitical response is going to be yet. We'll just have to see.
    – Jack Block
    Jun 2, 2017 at 13:07
  • Would it be likely or is the U.S. too large of an economy / is it too politically dangerous for this to happen? Jun 2, 2017 at 13:12
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    Should this question then be flagged for being too opinion based? Jun 2, 2017 at 13:56
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    @JackBlock "I don't know why...". Because the agreement is meant to be a start for protecting other nations from the effects of climate change. In other situations where nations are negatively impacted by one countries' behaviour, that country receives sanctions to "persuade" them to cooperate. If your nation was under threat from climate change, wouldn't you be disturbed if one of the biggest polluters said "nah, we'll look after ourselves thanks".
    – adelphus
    Jun 2, 2017 at 16:46

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