The Republican governors of Vermont and Massachusetts have come out in support of the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA), joining governors of a growing number of other states.

On June 1, only a short time after President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the PCA, several states started taking a stand in support of its goals. The governors of California, New York, and Washington announced that they had formed a group, the United States Climate Alliance (USCA) , to achieve the goals that Donald Trump would abandon. They were followed by seven other states, with Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont, among them. Governors of yet other states have indicated that they would adhere to the goals of the PCA.

It is noteworthy that Charlie Baker, the governor of Massachusetts, and Phil Scott, governor of Vermont, are Republicans. This is a clear indication that the matter is not entirely partisan.

The USCA has so far been made up of states, but a large number of cities have also indicated that they will adhere to the goals of the PCA. Reports indicate the number is well over a hundred, and though a precise number is not clear, the list is growing.

The legal ramifications of the USCA are already being discussed. According to some scholars, clauses in the constitution prohibit trade agreements among states or between states and foreign governments. Nevertheless, agreement in principle and pursuit of goals can be done in ways that are not disallowed.