8 • The Agreement strongly acknowledges the Right to Development. This means that when countries or governments implement measures or actions to combat climate change (i.e. reduce emissions, adaptation measures), these measures or actions should not infringe on the rights of people to development, to the enjoyment of ancestral domains by indigenous peoples, the right to health, etc. For example, if a project meant to sequester carbon in an area of forest is dislocating indigenous peoples or taking their right to live on the land or benefit from the resources, such a project should not be allowed. • The Agreement acknowledges that, when taking action to address climate change, countries should respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity. • The Agreement notes the importance of the concept of climate justice when taking actions to combat climate change. For example, if an action to combat climate change puts undue and unjust burden on a country like the Philippines (which is at the receiving end of climate impacts), and in the process a rich country like the United States escapes responsibility, this should be viewed as climate injustice. An example of this is if the Philippines implements a project (e.g. wind power farm) which will earn “carbon credits” or market instruments that is bought by the U.S., it is easy to see that the U.S. did not take action on their own domestically but instead let a poorer nation take the cudgels and thus the U.S. gets a “free pass” by merely buying the credits and continuing to pollute on their own turf. This is what is called an “offset” arrangement, which does not solve climate change because there are no real reductions of emissions. • The Agreement recognizes that developed countries should take the lead in making their lifestyles more sustainable and change their patterns of consumption into a more sustainable pathway. The recent developments in the world political stage is showing us just how important it is for humanity to come together to make sure that those who hold the most power and resources stop crushing people's basic rights, including those to a stable climate and healthy environment. We are in the middle of it with all the individuals and communities who are now taking action on this. U.S. President Donald Trump’s abdication of the Paris Agreement sends the wrong signals and has reignited the old battle-lines in the international climate negotiations process. The United States remains as the world’s biggest cumulative emitter, accounting for 25% of all CO2 emissions that are already in the atmosphere. With the U.S. reneging on its obligations under the Convention, and now strongly dragging its feet, and ultimately wishing to unsubscribe to the climate policy regime, the political process is unraveling and the gains of the Paris Agreement, already incommensurate with what is required by science, are at great risk.