President Trump refuses to bow to pressure from world leaders on climate change and insists he’ll do ‘what’s best for the United States’.
Donald Trump says he will announce his ‘final decision’ on whether or not the US will stay in the Paris climate agreement next week.
The president’s surprise announcement came in the form of a tweet, which he sent on Saturday morning – the final day of his first international.
‘I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!’ Trump wrote.
The president earlier declined to comment about the accord, as he refused to give into intense international pressure.
Earlier Saturday, the other six members of the G7 voted to abide by the Paris climate agreement, according to a person familiar with the talks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before the formal announcement.
The leaders attempted to convince Trump for three days – first in Brussels at meetings of NATO and the European Union, then in Sicily for G7, but the former reality television host will leave Italy without making clear where he stands.
Under the G7 agreement, the Trump administration will be given more time to consider whether it will remain committed to the 2015 Paris deal to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.
Backing out of the climate accord had been a central plank of Trump’s campaign and aides have been exploring whether they can adjust the framework of the deal even if they do not opt out entirely.