Thursday 24 October 2019

Donald Trump confirms US will leave Paris climate agreement

Donald Trump has confirmed the US will withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement.

Speaking at an energy conference in Pittsburgh yesterday, the US President described the climate deal as “terrible” and “one-sided” and said it was a “total disaster for our country”.

The Paris climate agreement, which brought together 195 nations to tackle climate change, aims to ensure average global temperature does not increase by more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

The US can formally withdraw from the accord in November and wait for another year before finally leaving the deal.

Mr Trump said: “The Paris Accord would’ve been a giant transfer of American wealth to foreign nations that are responsible for most of the world’s pollution. Our air right now and our water right now is as clean as it’s been in decades.

“The Paris Accord would’ve been shutting down American producers with excessive regulatory restrictions like you would not believe, while allowing foreign producers to pollute with impunity. They were allowed to do what they were doing.”

He claimed the US has “among the very cleanest air and drinking water on Earth” and that the country is at a “very, very good point environmentally right now”.

Mr Trump added the government will open federal lands and offshore areas for “responsible” oil and gas production.

He went on: “What we won’t do is punish the American people while enriching foreign pollution.

“My job is to represent the people of Pittsburgh, not the people of Paris.”