US secretary of state Rex Tillerson speaks during the plenary session of the Arctic Council meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Thursday. Tillerson is among those advocating for the U.S. to remain part of the agreement, brokered in 2015 by more than 190 nations. The former head of Exxon Mobil Corp. said the US would continue to be an active member of the eight-member Arctic Council, which also includes Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. ‘Unprecedented change’“The Arctic region has been facing unprecedented change and challenges,” Tillerson said. The US objected to “how strong the language” was around climate change, United Nations sustainability goals and renewable energy in an earlier draft, said Rene Soderman, senior adviser for Arctic cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Source: Mint May 12, 2017 06:11 UTC