Less than an hour after President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the US from the Paris climate pact and seek to renegotiate better terms for American workers, Italy, German and France have issued a joint statement saying the pact cannot be renegotiated.
"We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies," the leaders of the three countries said in a joint statement as reported by Reuters.
The three urged other world leaders to do more about climate change, and pledged to do more to help developing countries adapt, Reuters said.
The European Union’s top official for climate change, Miguel Arias Canete, called it a “sad day for the global community” and said the EU “deeply regrets the unilateral decision by the Trump administration," Bloomberg reported. Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and head of an informal network of more than 90 major world cities, said America is making a “dramatic mistake” just two years after playing a key role in securing the deal.
In a story about what will happen to the Paris agreement without the US, Bloomberg reported that “like the wedding reception of a runaway bride, the Paris agreement is free to go on, just minus a pretty important player.”
US withdrawal doesn’t necessarily kill the agreement, since participation is voluntary. But without America's involvement, the global effort to cut emissions is even less likely to reach its targets. The US was also supposed to provide financial help to poorer nations to help them invest in renewable energy.
Trump said Thursday in a speech from the Rose Garden that he would withdraw the US from the accord while seeking a way to renegotiate a deal that's more fair to American workers.
French President Emanuel Macron tweeted that he will make a statement Thursday night about the US’s decision to withdraw from the climate pact.
Je m'exprimerai en direct à 23h à propos de la décision du Président Trump de retirer les États-Unis des accords de Paris sur le climat.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 1, 2017
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that Italy remained committed to reducing emissions and fulfilling all its obligations under the agreement.
#Clima Non facciamo passi indietro da Accordo Parigi. Italia Impegnata per riduzione emissioni, energie rinnovabili, sviluppo sostenibile
— Paolo Gentiloni (@PaoloGentiloni) June 1, 2017
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