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| German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and China's Premier, Li Keqiang, left, talk during a contract signing ceremony as part of a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, June 1, 2017. |
BERLIN
(AP) -- Top European leaders pledged Thursday to keep fighting against
global warming as U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was pulling
out of the Paris climate accord, but they rejected his suggestion that
the deal could later be renegotiated.
The
leaders of France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement that they
regretted the United States' decision to withdraw from the accord, but
affirmed "our strongest commitment" to implement its measures and
encouraged "all our partners to speed up their action to combat climate
change."
While Trump said the United States
would be willing to rejoin the accord if it could obtain more favorable
terms, the three European leaders said the agreement cannot be
renegotiated, "since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies
and economics."
President Emmanuel Macron of
France repeated that belief in an English-language speech from the
presidential palace, unprecedented from a French president in an address
at home. He said, "I do respect this decision but I do think it is an
actual mistake both for the U.S. and for our planet."
"Wherever we live, whoever we are, we all share the same responsibility: make our planet great again," Macron added.
The
European Union's top climate change official, Miguel Arias Canente,
said in a statement that Trump's decision to leave the Paris accord made
it "a sad day for the global community," adding that the bloc "deeply
regrets the unilateral decision."
Canete also
predicted that the EU would seek new alliances from the world's largest
economies to the most vulnerable island states, as well as U.S.
businesses and individuals supportive of the accord.
U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the U.S. withdrawal from the
Paris climate agreement "a major disappointment" and said it was
"crucial that the United States remains a leader on environmental
issues," according to his spokesman.
Norway's
largest pension fund with 53 billion euro ($59.5 billion) in assets
under its management said it would continue to invest in renewable
energy despite the American president's decision, saying in a statement
that "Donald Trump is jumping off a train that has already left the
station."
Chief executive Odd Arild Grefstad
cited the growth of renewable energy in U.S. states such as Texas, New
York and California as signs that "the world has started the transition
from fossil to a renewable economy."
In Mexico, former President Vicente Fox criticized Trump's move, saying on Twitter: "He's declaring war on the planet itself."
Fox,
who has clashed with Trump since last year's presidential campaign,
said the U.S. leader's decision "condemns this generation and those to
come" and would leave "a dark legacy just to satisfy your greediness."
The
U.S. Conference of Mayors said it strongly opposed Trump's action and
vowed to continue efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for
global warming.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch
Landrieu, the group's vice president, said withdrawal from the agreement
was "shortsighted" and called climate change a grave threat to coastal
communities such as his, as well as the nation and the world.
Inventor
and entrepreneur Elon Musk said he would keep his promise to end his
participation in two presidential councils after Trump issued his
decision.
"Climate change is real. Leaving
Paris is not good for America or the world," the CEO of electric car
maker Tesla Inc. tweeted shortly after Trump officially withdrew the
U.S. from the global climate pact.
Meanwhile,
General Motors, the No. 1 U.S. automaker, said it would continue its
commitment to "creating a better environment." The automaker highlighted
its development of the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle with 238 miles
of range on a single charge and a net price of less than $30,000.
Bill
Ford, chairman of the Ford Motor Co., also weighed in, saying: "We
believe climate change is real, and remain deeply committed to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions in our vehicles and our facilities."
Before
Trump announced his decision Thursday afternoon, Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang told reporters during a visit to Berlin that fighting global
warming was a "global consensus" and an "international responsibility."
Without
mentioning the U.S. specifically, Li said that "China in recent years
has stayed true to its commitment" and pointed out that his was one of
the first countries to ratify the 2015 Paris Agreement.
While
traveling abroad last week, Trump was repeatedly pressed to stay in the
deal by European leaders and Pope Francis. Withdrawing would leave the
United States as one of just three countries outside the agreement. The
other two are Syria and Nicaragua.
Russia
joined the chorus speaking out for the climate accord. Speaking to
reporters on Thursday before Trump's decision was announced, a spokesman
for President Vladimir Putin said Russia "thinks highly" of the accords
and sees no alternative to it. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that its
implementation will not be as effective "without the key signatories."
Scientists
say Earth is likely to reach more dangerous levels of warming sooner if
the U.S. retreats from its pledge because America contributes so much
to rising temperatures. Calculations suggest withdrawal could release up
to 3 billion additional tons of carbon dioxide a year - enough to melt
ice sheets faster, raise seas higher and trigger more extreme weather.
