UNITED NATIONS — Leaders from around the world maintained a defiant front Thursday after President Trump announced that he would withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in English before switching to French, said he believed Trump was making a mistake, then extended an offer to Americans: “Tonight, I wish to tell the United States: France believes in you, the world believes in you. I know that you are a great nation. I know your history, our common history. To all scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, responsible citizens who were disappointed by the decision of the president of the United States, I want to say that they will find in France a second home.
Miguel Arias Cañete, the European Union’s commissioner for climate, said Trump’s decision had “galvanized us’’ and promised that “this vacuum will be filled by new broad committed leadership.’’
The leaders of France, Germany, and Italy swiftly issued a statement expressing “regret’’ and rejected Trump’s assertion that he would renegotiate the deal.
“We therefore reaffirm our strongest commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement, including its climate finance goals, and we encourage all our partners to speed up their action to combat climate change,’’ the statement read.
Christina Figueres, the former UN official who led the negotiations, said that under the agreement the United States cannot even submit its intention to withdraw until November 2019, after which the process would take a year.
“You cannot renegotiate individually,’’ she said. “It’s a multilateral agreement. No one country can unilaterally change the conditions.’’
In his comments Thursday, Trump took aim at the Green Climate Fund designed to help poor nations deal with the havoc of climate change, calling it a vast scheme to redistribute wealth. Figueres described the fund as a “political message’’ of help from rich countries to poor countries that have done little to wreck the atmosphere.
Mary Robinson, a former UN special envoy for climate change, said in a biting statement: “The US reneging on its commitment to the Paris Agreement renders it a rogue state on the international stage.’’
The push against pulling out extended to the corner offices of many major US companies. Several chief executives had made last-ditch appeals to the president, following weeks of a letter-writing and advertising campaign. Several business leaders reached out directly to the president.
After Trump made his announcement, one CEO after another tweeted disappointment, companies issued statements committing to action on climate change, and one high-profile member of Trump’s business advisory council said he would leave the forum in response.
‘‘Am departing presidential councils,’’ tweeted Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Thursday afternoon. ‘‘Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.’’
Musk had threatened to take such action in his appeals for the nation to remain under the Paris accords.
General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, who had said during a speech to students at Georgetown University in May that the business community ‘‘has kind of moved on in this debate,’’ tweeted a similar refrain, calling upon business to lead the way on global climate standards. ‘‘Disappointed with today’s decision on the Paris Agreement,’’ he wrote in a tweet. ‘‘Climate change is real. Industry must now lead and not depend on government.’’
Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris, who was the driving force behind a letter signed by 30 high-profile CEOs earlier this month encouraging Trump to honor the US commitment, said that his company would ‘‘continue to collaborate with President Trump as well as other businesses, NGOs, and academics’’ on greenhouse gas reductions. In a statement following Trump’s announcement, Intel said it ‘‘firmly’’ believes the United States should keep participating in the accord. ‘‘Withdrawal won’t change our investment in renewable energy, and we will continue to advocate for the US to engage.’’
While Trump’s explanation for exiting the accord was, in part, that it would hurt domestic manufacturing and cost US jobs, CEOs’ appeals to the president have been largely business-focused, saying rather that an exit threatens American competitiveness, raises the risk of negative trade implications and could hurt their ability to create jobs.
Material from the Washington Post was used in this report.
