United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said “next week” he will make a decision on whether to remain part of the Paris Agreement on climate change. “I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!” he tweeted.
The announcement came as Trump departed this year’s G-7 summit in Italy, leaving the other world leaders frustrated. Nearly 200 countries had pledged support to reduce carbon emissions in the landmark global warming deal. Trump had earlier claimed there is no evidence that humans are causing climate change.
A joint statement from all seven countries at the summit’s conclusion acknowledged that the US “is in process of reviewing its policies on climate change”, while reaffirming the other G-7 members’ commitment to addressing global warming.
While Trump was returning to the US, the political news website Axios reported that he had said he plans to pull the US out of the deal.
During the two-day conclave, other leaders repeatedly urged Trump to recognise that the US had to show leadership on climate issues being the world’s second biggest carbon emitter. A top White House adviser said the president’s views were evolving on the issue. However, he added that Trump wasn’t immediately swayed by arguments from Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and others to honour the Paris Agreement.
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