LOS ANGELES - President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday, Jan. 20 — just hours after being sworn in — for the United States to rejoin the Paris Agreement.
In November 2019, the U.S. formally left the Paris Agreement and became the first and only nation to do so, distancing itself from international efforts to curb global warming.
Rejoining the climate agreement was one of several actions Biden took first as president — so why was it so high on his agenda?
The agreement is a 2015 international pact that nearly 200 nations have signed. Each country provides its own goal and commitment to curbing emissions of heat-trapping gases that lead to climate change and global warming.