Trump Administration Reportedly Won’t Pull Out of Paris Climate Agreement (UPDATED)
So, remember that whole thing about the United States exiting the Paris Climate Agreement? Yeah, it appears that won’t be the case now.
More than three months after President Donald Trump announced that he was pulling the US out of the climate deal, claiming it would hurt America economically, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump administration officials said that America will “re-engage in the international deal to fight climate change.”
A European official had the following to say about the United States staying in the agreement:
“The U.S. has stated that they will not renegotiate the Paris accord, but they will try to review the terms on which they could be engaged under this agreement,” European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said.
Weeks after announcing he was leaving the accord, polls showed American voters were largely against the move.
Meanwhile, there is some skepticism within the administration that Trump has jumped back in:
Trying to verify. A senior admin official – who probably should know about this – had no idea & described WSJ report as "a complete shock." https://t.co/gilnubxx4L
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) September 16, 2017
And the White House provided a response to Eli Stokols:
WH responds: "There has been no change in the United States' position on the Paris agreement…" 1/ https://t.co/NIneUhO6GD
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) September 16, 2017
"As the President has made abundantly clear, the US is withdrawing unless we can re-enter on terms more favorable to our country."
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) September 16, 2017
That statement, from @LWalters45, is a good reminder that Trump has always left this door open.
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) September 16, 2017
The EU officials in Montreal today got sense that Trump admin knows there will be no renegotiating Paris accord. US likelier to lower NDC.
— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) September 16, 2017
UPDATE – 5:45 p.m. EST: Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has tweeted that the Trump Administration’s position on the climate accord remains unchanged.
Our position on the Paris agreement has not changed. @POTUS has been clear, US withdrawing unless we get pro-America terms.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 16, 2017
[image via screengrab]
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