03 June, 2017
In television interviews the morning after Trump's announcement, Vice President Mike Pence and Kellyanne Conway, a senior White House aide, defended Trump's decision as a reassertion of America's sovereignty.
"With the president pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, L.A. will lead by committing to the goals of the accord - and will work closely with cities across America and the world to do the same". And that's been largely accomplished through innovation and technology, not government mandate. Scientists say Earth is likely to reach more unsafe levels of warming sooner as a result of the president's decision because America's pollution contributes so much to rising temperatures. After Trump's shocking statement, the leaders of France, Italy and Germany indicated in a joint statement that the United States could not unilaterally renegotiate the agreement.
Another tweeted: "Bravo. I couldn't have said it any better."The Berlin tabloid is notorious for targeting politicians and doesn't hold back in its attacks". He said the accord was not tough on India and China, and alleged that the deal was negotiated "poorly" by the Obama administration and signed out of "desperation".
Christina Hioureas, chair of the United Nations Practice Group at law firm Foley Hoag LLP in NY, told The Independent that although "there may be other avenues under worldwide law to hold accountable non-compliant States", this thinking was "miscalculated".
He said under the Paris deal, developed countries agreed to set economy-wide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while developing countries "should continue enhancing their mitigation efforts" with the aim of achieving economy-wide absolute reductions eventually. The US, on the contrary, has been historically the biggest polluter for which it was rapped by country after country at the climate talks.
On Thursday, Trump announced that the country would abandon the worldwide environmental effort that's been support by more than 150 countries. Under former President Barack Obama, the US had agreed under the accord to reduce polluting emissions by more than a quarter below 2005 levels by 2025. The U.S. Sierra Club, citing Trump's endorsement of what he regards as clean coal, tweeted: "Clean coal, you can find that next to the unicorns and leprechauns". They are already a leader in solar panel production.
"On a broader economic scale, withdrawal and non-compliance and scaling back of subsidies may result in a missed opportunity for the U.S. to lead the charge", on renewable energy technology, said Ms Hioureas.
Republican governors of Vermont and MA have also expressed their commitment to improving and protecting the environment.
Along with Trump, Pruitt and White House press secretary Sean Spicer were among those who refused to answer repeated questions on the subject.
He said he would notify the UN Secretary General and the climate change secretariat that U.S. cities, states, businesses and others would aim to meet the US's commitment to reducing emissions 26 per cent below the 2005 levels by 2025.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
A joint statement from the European Union and China said that climate change and clean energy "will become a main pillar of their bilateral partnership".
Jeff Immelt, chief executive officer of USA conglomerate General Electric, tweeted: "Climate change is real".
