Trump announces US withdrawal from Paris climate accord, says deal not tough enough on India and China

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he was withdrawing the United States from the historic Paris Accord, saying it was bad for his country and its economy but kept the door open for a "new transaction" on terms that are fair to the US.

Trump named India and China among the reasons he called the Paris Accord unfair to the United States.

"We're getting out, but we will start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. If we can, that's great," President Trump said in a speech at the White House, and went on to add, to cheers from aides and supporters in the audience, "I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris."

"In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord," the president said, adding, the US would begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or "a new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers,



its people, its taxpayers."

Implementing the accord, Trump said would have hit the paper, cement, iron and steel, coal, and natural gas sectors of the American economy and would have meant $3 trillion in lost GDP, 6.5 million industrial job losses and $7,000 less in annual income for American households.

He said the deal was not tough enough on China and India. China will continue polluting for a "staggering number of years", he said, referring to its self-determined mitigation target, and added, "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions, billions and billions of foreign aid from developed countries" and while the United States was expected to cut production of coal under the accord, India could double it.

As the world's largest economy, America's exit will raise questions about the fate of the accord, though China and EU are set to announce an alliance to take on a leadership role determined to protect the Paris Accord, calling it "historic" and "irreversible"