French President expressed his disappointment of Donald Trump’s promise to pull the United States out of the Paris climate deal. During his speech opening the talks, Emmanuel Macron said that the ‘urgency has become permanent and the challenge of our generation is to act.’
President Macron tried to shore up support for the Paris climate deal by urging heads of state, CEOs and investors to commit more funding to the fight against global warming. Of course, money was on everybody’s mind at the climate summit meeting organized in the French capital.
But the gathering was overshadowed by President Trump’s promise to pull the United States out of the deal, a move that has cast doubt on the ability of the international community to meet the emission goals that were set two years ago when the pact was adopted.
In his opening speech, French President said that that battle is lost, and Mr Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris deal became extremely “bad news.” Despite this, Mr Macron added that “many have decided to not necessarily accept the American federal government’s decision to leave the Paris agreement.”
Describing the recent developments of the international legally-binding Paris agreement, the French leader stressed that all the signatories should start to act today, ‘because the urgency has become permanent and the challenge of our generation is to act.’
At the meeting, several announcements were made, states and international bodies promised to help industries and poorer countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, while the investors offered to shift private investment away from fossil fuels toward ‘green’ energies.
Macron about Trump’s decision
French President Macron has been one of the most vocal world leaders trying to fill the void left by Mr Trump. In an interview with CBS News that aired on Monday, the French president said the United States’ withdrawal had created “huge momentum” that helped him “create a counter-momentum.”
Trump’s critics say that the American president became the unwitting villain as world leaders, investors and other Americans assailed him Tuesday for rejecting the Paris climate accord.
Calling Trump’s decision to leave the accord “extremely aggressive,” Macron repeated warnings made in September at the UN General Assembly that he would not renegotiate the Paris agreement with his American counterpart. In addition, the French president declared his readiness to welcome him ‘if he decides to come back,’ doors are still open.
