US officially rejoins Paris climate pact

The US officially rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, the State Department announced Friday, saying climate change and science can "never" again be "add-ons" in Washington's foreign policy.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the agreement during his first day in office, Jan. 20. The landmark agreement aimed at rolling back carbon emissions that former President Donald Trump chose to unilaterally exit from in a process that was finalized on Nov. 4. The accord seeks to limit global warming and achieve a carbon-neutral world by 2050.

"The Paris Agreement is an unprecedented framework for global action," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "We know because we helped design it and make it a reality. Its purpose is both simple and expansive: to help us all avoid catastrophic planetary warming and to build resilience around the world to the impacts from climate change we already see."

"You have seen and will continue to see us weaving climate change into our most important bilateral and multilateral conversations at all levels. In these conversations, we're asking other leaders: how can we do more together?" Blinken continued.

Noting that listening to scientists is at the center of Washington's domestic and foreign policy priorities, Blinken said: "Climate change and science diplomacy can never again be 'add-ons' in our foreign policy discussions."