President Trump announces US withdrawal from Paris climate accord

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States would pull out of the Paris climate accord, a UN agreement signed by 195 countries at the COP21 climate conference in Paris in December, 2015.

As of today, the US “will cease all implementation” of the accord, Trump said, adding that he will consider rejoining the deal if it is renegotiated to be more beneficial to the US economy, france24.com reports.

He suggested that the Paris deal was “unfair” to US workers and taxpayers, and that other nations – notably China and India – stood to benefit more under its current terms.

“This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries obtaining a financial advantage over the United States,” Trump said.

“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh – not Paris,” he added.

The United States becomes only the third country, along with Nicaragua and Syria, to oppose the Paris Agreement, which is the world’s first legally binding climate deal. It came into force last year and so far has been ratified by 147 countries, representing more than 82 percent of global emissions.

The United States had committed to lowering its fossil fuel emissions by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by a 2025 deadline. In signing the deal, wealthy nations also pledged to help pay for developing countries to transition to cleaner energy sources and to deal with the effects of climate change.

World leaders condemn President Trump’s climate change u-turn

The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan as well as the UN chief had hoped to pressure Trump into respecting the US pledge to curb its carbon emissions. The leaders of Germany, France and Italy responded by expressing their disappointment and asserting that the accord could not be renegotiated. Others slammed Trump for what they characterized as reckless abandonment, CNN informs.

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed disappointment in the United States for reneging on the Paris Agreement.
• Miguel Arias Cañete, EU Commissioner of Climate Action & Energy, accused the United States of turning its back on efforts to save the planet. “A sad day for the global community, as the US turns its back on the fight against climate change. EU deeply regrets this unilateral decision.”
• France President Emmanuel Macron said he respected Trump’s decision, but characterized it as a “mistake.” “Today, the President of the United States Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris agreement. I do respect his decision, but I do think it is an actual mistake both for the US and for our planet,” he said in a televised speech.
• Steffen Seibert, spokesperson for Chancellor Angela Merkel, said the chancellor was disappointed in Trump’s decision and affirmed Germany’s commitment to the accord. “Chancellor Merkel disappointed w/ Pres. Trump’s decision. Now more than ever we will work for global climate policies that save our planet.”
• Martin Schulz, head of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, was more critical. He suggested Trump doesn’t live in reality, and even referenced the President’s push of Montenegro Prime Minister Dusko Markovic at a recent NATO summit. “You can withdraw from a climate agreement but not from climate change, Mr. Trump. Reality isn’t just another statesman you shove away.”
• Brazil expressed “profound concern and disappointment” with Trump’s decision to exit the climate agreement.