Wednesday 6 November 2019

Trump starts process to formally exit Paris climate agreement

The US has begun the process of withdrawing from the Paris climate change agreement.

It has formally notified the UN, starting a year-long process of exiting the global climate deal, under which global nations have committed to keep rising temperatures below 2°C.

The US has to wait a year before finally leaving the deal.

President Donald Trump previously described the climate deal as “terrible” and “one-sided” and said it was a “total disaster for our country”.

He also 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”.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement on Twitter.

In a Tweet earlier this week, he said: “Today we begin the formal process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. The US is proud of our record as a world leader in reducing all emissions, fostering resilience, growing our economy and ensuring energy for our citizens. Ours is a realistic and pragmatic model.”