U.S. is the lone G7 holdout on supporting Paris climate deal

Last edited Sat May 27, 2017, 11:01 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Politico


Trump posted on Twitter that he'll make a final decision next week, after he returns to Washington.

By DAVID HERSZENHORN and TARA PALMERI 05/27/2017 07:23 AM EDT Updated 05/27/2017 09:16 AM EDT



TAORMINA, Sicily — President Donald Trump refused to join his counterparts in the G7 Saturday in a pledge to uphold the 195-nation Paris accord on climate change, breaking the unified front of the world’s most exclusive geopolitical club.

Trump, posting on Twitter, said he would make a decision on whether the U.S. would remain in the climate change next week, after he returns to Washington. The other six members of the G7 — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.K. — reaffirmed "strong commitment" to the agreement, which former President Barack Obama signed in 2015.

While the declaration included remarkable language, highlighting that the U.S. stood apart, the other allies expressed some relief that Trump had not outright rejected the accord and said they remained hopeful he would come around to supporting the Paris agreement in the coming days. But Trump’s refusal to take a position while in Sicily has shaken the unity among the G7, the world’s most exclusive geopolitical club.

The U.S. has also raised doubts about the G7’s longstanding language opposing protectionism in all forms. The Trump administration blocked similar language in a G20 communique earlier this year.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/27/trump-paris-climate-deal-238883

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G7 talks: Trump isolated over Paris climate change deal

Six world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris accord, the world's first comprehensive deal aimed at reducing greenhouse emissions. However, the US has refused to recommit to the agreement, saying it will make a decision next week.

Mr Trump, who once dismissed global warming as a "hoax", has previously threatened to pull out of the accord.

This is Mr Trump's first G7 summit - during his first foreign trip. G7 leaders from the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan have agreed a statement on fighting terrorism.

The final communique issued at the G7 summit in Italy said the US "is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics". However, the other G7 leaders pledged to "reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the discussion on climate change had been "very unsatisfactory", adding "we have a situation of six against one".

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40069636