WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, striking a major blow to worldwide efforts to combat climate change and distancing the country from many allies abroad. “As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the nonbinding Paris accord,” Trump said during a White House Rose Garden announcement. Beijing, however, has reaffirmed its commitment to meeting its targets under the Paris accord, recently cancelling construction of about 100 coal-fired power plants and investing billions in massive wind and solar projects. The White House had signalled earlier in the week that withdrawal was likely, but Trump has been known to change his mind at the last minute on such major decisions. White House aides were divided on the topic and had been deliberating on “caveats in the language” as late as Wednesday, one official said.

Source: National Post June 01, 2017 19:52 UTC