President Donald Trump has announced his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, arguing that the 2015 agreement was detrimental to the US economy.
"In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, but being negotiations to reenter, either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction under terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers , its people , its taxpayers," Trump said from the White House Rose Garden. "We're getting out."
He announced this decision from the same place where former US President Barack Obama hailed the agreement as "a turning point for our planet."
With this announcement, President Trump fulfills his campaign promises while seriously dampening global efforts to curb global warming.
The decision amounts to a rebuttal of the worldwide effort to pressure Trump to remain a part of the agreement. The 197-member climate agreement requires every country to establish ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gasses. But those targets are largely voluntary, and Trump has already made clear that he views environmental regulations as an obstacle to his goal of creating jobs and ensuring energy independence.
Trump stated "US will cease all implementation of the non-binding draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country. Thus ending implementation of national contribution from immediate effect and the Green climate fund which is costing the US.
It is pertinent to mention that ceasing U.S. payments to the fund were part of his budget released last month.
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