The Trump administration has filed paperwork with the United Nations to formally begin the year-long process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, in a move that will make the US the only country in the world not a part of it. The administration’s action has been delayed until this point because of UN rules regarding timing, though this has the potential to be advantageous politically for Mr Trump, as it will coincide with next year’s presidential election campaign. (On the other hand, recent polls suggest that as many as two-thirds of Americans think more action should be taken on climate change.) As Reuters reports, the withdrawal was promised by Mr Trump as part of his 2016 presidential campaign, and forms part of his administration’s strategy to reduce red tape affecting US industry. Whether being part of the Agreement was affecting, or would affect US industrial competitiveness is somewhat doubtful, but Mr Trump has been correct in pointing out that the Agreement allowed Chinese emissions to grow while requiring US emissions to shrink. This has not, however, prevented other developed nations accepting the Agreement, and the formal commencement of withdrawal has drawn criticism from around the world, including from France, China, and Spain, as well as domestic criticism. Interestingly, until the US has completed its withdrawal, it will still participate in negotiations to define the “rule book” for reporting and other governance arrangements surrounding the Agreement. This perhaps offers a suggestion that officials see a future re-entry to Paris.