As a practical business type for his first 70 years, Trump is not big on political symbolism.  This can be a strength or a weakness depending on the situation and the issue.

Some including myself would argue that our current government is far too preoccupied with symbolism at the expense of substance, with fantasy stuff for the gullible base at the expense of real leadership on tangible things that actually matter.

It must also be said that the US has made remarkable progress over the past 15 years going from by far the biggest carbon emitter (about 35% of the world's FFEs) to a distant 2nd (19%) and falling to China (30%) and rising.

This was accomplished by market sector innovations and public sector initiatives at all levels and is worthy of praise not condemnation.

Obama knowing that neither middle America nor congress (which vetoed Kyoto 98-0) would go along with Paris used his executive order powers to ratify Paris.

Trump may be wise - and popular -to withdraw from Paris