I’ve heard it argued that withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement is a gesture of honesty—an acknowledgment that we are far from meeting our commitments. But such a move doesn’t reflect honesty; it reflects surrender. To walk away is to abandon our aspiration to save the planet from the devastating effects of climate change.

Failing to meet a goal should drive us to do better, not justify quitting altogether. Withdrawing from the agreement simply because we are falling short is no different than scrapping Constitutional amendments on civil rights because we have yet to achieve full racial and gender equality. Progress isn’t made by abandoning commitments—it’s made by striving to fulfill them.