What Pulling Out of the Paris Climate Accord Means for You

So what does the pulling out of the Paris accord mean for the average Joe? Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment, addressed that question and more in an interview with CBN’s Jenna Browder. Watch above.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump recently announced his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord, calling it "unfair" to American industry and workers.

"I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," he said. 

So what does the move actually mean for most Americans and how will it benefit folks in cities like Pittsburgh?

"You're not going see another huge increase in energy prices that we otherwise would have been facing," Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment, told CBN News. "As a consequence of that there are going to be more opportunities in manufacturing. There are going to be more jobs available."

The deal would have required the U.S. to cut fossil fuel emissions by 30 percent by 2025.

Some economic experts estimate this could have cost as many as 2.7 million American jobs by that same year.

"No responsible leader can put the workers and the people of their country at this debilitating and tremendous disadvantage," Trump said.

The deal also could have led to $3 trillion of lost GDP over 10 years.

Much of Trump's decision was based on the automobile industry. Put simply, increased environmental standards drive up car production costs that then get passed down to consumers.

The deal would have also forced the U.S. to move away from coal, one of the country's cheapest, most abundant energy sources. Americans would have paid more for electricity.

In his Thursday announcement, the president assured critics his administration would work to protect the environment and the economy.

"We will be environmentally friendly, but we're not going to put our businesses out of work," he said. "The agreement is a massive redistribution of United States wealth to other countries."

Still, Trump isn't ruling out a deal completely. The president says he's open to negotiating a new agreement, one that's more beneficial to the American people.

"We will see if we can make a deal that's fair. And if we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine," he said.

Whether another deal comes about or not, Kerpen says this was a smart move on Trump's part.

"It's just going to be a general economic positive," he told CBN News.