WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced the country's withdrawal from landmark Paris agreement, risking global alliances and environmentalists. Honoring his campaign promise, Trump said he would seek to negotiate a new climate deal that is “fair” to America's interests.
“In order to fulfil my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord but begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers,” Trump said. “We are getting out, but we will start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. If we can, that's great. If we can't, that's fine.”
He argued that the agreement would “punish” the United States and instituted “onerous energy restrictions” that would stymie economic growth, especially in manufacturing industries. Trump claimed that meeting the accord's greenhouse gas emission standards would cost the US close to $33trillion in lost gross domestic product and 6.5 million industrial jobs. The decision makes US the only country, after Syria and Nicaragua, to shun the pact. US' exit creates issues for other nations as the US remains the biggest weight-puller.
Trump's announcement soon triggered expected backlash with environmental leaders, and Democrats condemning the act. Chief Executive of the World Resources Institute, Andrew Steer said, “This decision shows a stunning disregard for the well-being of people and the planet. President Trump will now have to answer for walking away from one of the most hard-fought and popular global achievements in recent memory.”
Sen Sheldon Whitehouse said, “Ignoring reality and leaving the Paris Agreement could go down as one of the worst foreign policy blunders in our nation's history. Trump is betraying the country, in the service of Breitbart fake news, the shameless fossil fuel industry, and the Koch brothers' climate denial operation. It's sad.”
Leaders of France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement saying the Paris climate accord cannot be renegotiated and that they noted “with regret” the US decision to pull out of the 2015 agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni said they regard the accord as a “cornerstone in the cooperation between our countries, for effectively and timely tackling climate change.”
They said they remain committed to the deal and will “step up efforts” to support the poorest and most threatened nations.
