黑料社

President Donald Trump announced America鈥檚 shock withdrawal from the Paris climate accord Thursday, a policy shift with potentially wide-ranging repercussions for the environment and Washington鈥檚 ties with the world.

In a staunchly nationalist statement from the White House Rose Garden, Trump announced the United States would stop implementing the 鈥渂ad鈥� 2015 deal and look to renegotiate it 鈥� or begin work on a new one.

鈥淚 cannot, in good conscience, support a deal that punishes the United States,鈥� he said.

Trump painted the deal 鈥� struck by predecessor president Barack Obama 鈥� as a capitulation that was too hard on the United States, went too easy on India, China and Europe, and did not 鈥減ut America first.鈥�

鈥淎s of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e getting out but we鈥檒l start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that鈥檚 fair. And if we can, that鈥檚 great. And if we can鈥檛, that鈥檚 fine.鈥�

The United States is the world鈥檚 second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China, so Trump鈥檚 decision could seriously hamper efforts to cut emissions and limit global temperature increases.

In a campaign-style address that echoed his America-first election message, Trump said 鈥渨e don鈥檛 want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won鈥檛 be.鈥�

鈥淚 was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,鈥� he added.

Trump鈥檚 decision to quit the 196-party accord sparked a wave of indignation both at home and abroad, with Obama breaking his post-election silence to say the United States was 鈥渏oining a handful of nations that reject the future.鈥�

鈥楬arming鈥� the planet

Nicaragua and Syria are the only countries not party to the Paris accord, the former seeing it as not ambitious enough and the latter being racked by a brutal civil war.

European leaders were uncharacteristically blunt in their condemnation and unceremoniously slapped down Trump鈥檚 suggestion that a new deal was up for debate.

鈥淭he agreement cannot be renegotiated,鈥� France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement.

Separately, Germany said the US was 鈥渉arming鈥� the entire planet, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called the decision 鈥渟eriously wrong.鈥�

At home, US mayors and governors also lashed out, including Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, who took issue with Trump鈥檚 invocation of his city.

鈥淎s the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy & future,鈥� he tweeted.

Ever the showman, the 70-year-old had given his decision a reality-TV-style tease, refusing to indicate his preference either way until his announcement.

That had prompted last-minute pressure from business tycoons, foreign allies and from inside his own White House not to pull out of the accord.

Opponents of withdrawal 鈥� said to include Trump鈥檚 own daughter Ivanka 鈥� had warned that America鈥檚 reputation and its leadership role on the world stage is at stake, as is the environment.

A dozen large companies including oil major BP, agrochemical giant DuPont, Google, Intel and Microsoft, had urged Trump to remain in the deal.

Ultimately, the lobbying by Trump鈥檚 environmental protection chief Scott Pruitt and chief strategist Steve Bannon urging the president to leave won out.

In the wake of the announcement Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk announced he would no longer take part in presidential business councils.

鈥淐limate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,鈥� he said.

China pledge

White House officials were unable to provide firm details about how and when the US would leave, but acknowledged that under the deal formal withdrawal may not take place until after the 2020 election.

Trump had raised alarm bells when he refused to sign up to a pledge on the deal at last week鈥檚 G7 meeting in Italy.

Hours ahead of Trump鈥檚 announcement, China鈥檚 Premier Li Keqiang pledged to stay the course on implementing the climate accord in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and urged other countries to do likewise.

China has been investing billions in clean energy infrastructure, as it battles to clear up the choking pollution enveloping its biggest cities.

China and the US are responsible for some 40 percent of the world鈥檚 emissions and experts had warned it was vital for both to remain in the Paris agreement if it is to succeed.

The leader of Asia鈥檚 other behemoth, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has said failing to act on climate change would be 鈥渕orally criminal鈥�.

Mixed signals

Trump鈥檚 announcement comes less than 18 months after the historic climate pact was adopted in the French capital, the fruit of a hard-fought agreement between Beijing and Washington under Obama鈥檚 leadership.

The Paris Agreement commits signatories to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, which is blamed for melting ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels and more violent weather events.

They vowed steps to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures 鈥渨ell below鈥� two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times and to 鈥減ursue efforts鈥� to hold the increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Since taking office on January 20, Trump, who has called climate change a 鈥渉oax鈥�, has sent contradictory signals on the Paris deal.

When asked Tuesday whether Trump believes human activity is contributing to climate change, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters, 鈥淗onestly, I haven鈥檛 asked him that. I can get back to you.鈥�

Since then a range of White House aides have refused to speculate on the president鈥檚 views.