UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed disappointment over President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Accord, saying he is confident all other parties to the ambitious pact will continue with their efforts to reduce the emissions.
“The decision by the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change is a major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote international security,” according to a statement read by Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
02:31 Exiting Paris deal would see US ‘reject the future’: Obama: Former President Barack Obama slammed his successor President Donald Trump today for pulling out of the Paris climate deal, warning that the move would see the United States ‘reject the future’ by not abiding by the agreement.
‘Even in the absence of American leadership; even as this administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we’ve got,’ Obama said in a statement.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also lashed at Trump’s decision.
Juncker tweeted that the withdrawal — announced by Trump in a highly anticipated statement from the White House rose Garden — was ‘a seriously wrong decision’. — Agencies
01:16 US withdraws from Paris climate deal: United States President Donald Trump has announced withdrawal from the Paris climate deal.
He, however, said that the US will begin fresh negotiations to enter either the Paris deal or a totally new climate deal.
Announcing the withdrawal, he said the deal caused major job loss to the US while making other countries gain a financial advantage over the US.
He said the deal put the US to a ‘very, very severe’ economic disadvantage.
He called the deal a ‘self-inflicted major economic wound’ on the US.
00:19 Firing at casino complex in Manila, IS claims responsibility: Gunfire was reported at a hotel and a casino resort in the Philippine capital on Thursday night, the operator of the complex said, and the Islamic State group quickly claimed responsibility.
‘Resorts World Manila is currently on lockdown following reports of gunfire from unidentified men,’ the company said on its Twitter account.
Philippine media reports that police, firetrucks and SWAT team are in the area.
Resorts World Manila on lockdown. — Agencies
Representative image.
Source: Rediff