Trump takes US out of climate agreement

02 มิถุนายน 2560

President Donald Trump announced America's shock withdrawal from the Paris climate accord Thursday, prompting a furious global backlash and throwing efforts to slow global warming into serious doubt.

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Anger as Trump announces US withdrawal from global climate deal

President Donald Trump announced America's shock withdrawal from the Paris climate accord Thursday, prompting a furious global backlash and throwing efforts to slow global warming into serious doubt.

In a sharply nationalistic and at times meandering address from the White House Rose Garden, Trump announced the United States would immediately stop implementing the "bad" 195-nation accord.

"I cannot, in good conscience, support a deal that punishes the United States," he said, decrying what he said were the "draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country."

Trump repeatedly painted the pact – struck by his predecessor Barack Obama – as a capitulation, a deal that did not "put America first" and was too easy on economic rivals India, China and Europe.

"I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," he said. "We don't want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won't be."

Trump offered no details about how, or when, a formal withdrawal would happen, and at one point suggested a renegotiation could take place.

"We're getting out but we'll start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. And if we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine," he said.

That idea was unceremoniously slapped down by furious allies in Europe, who joined figures from around the United States in condemning the move.

"The agreement cannot be renegotiated," France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement.

Trump called German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May -- as well as Canada's Justin Trudeau -- to explain the decision.

But traditional US allies were uncharacteristically blunt in their condemnation of Trump's decision, which comes amid already strained relationships with the hard-charging new president.

Germany said the US was "harming" the entire planet, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called the decision "seriously wrong."

A dozen large companies including oil major BP, agrochemical giant DuPont, Google, Intel and Microsoft, had urged Trump to remain in the deal.

In the wake of the announcement, Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk and Disney chief Robert Iger announced they would no longer take part in presidential business councils.

"Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world," Musk said.

The Democratic governors of New York, California and Washington states formed a quick alliance, vowing to respect the standards agreed on under the Paris deal.