US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says US efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will continue despite President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
Tillerson on Friday downplayed the move as a "policy decision" and urged observers to "keep it in perspective."
While the move withdraws the world's largest economy from commitments to fight global warming, it does not halt the march of US businesses toward renewable energy or state and local government efforts.
"The United States has a terrific record on reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions. It's something I think we can be proud of and that was done in the absence of the Paris agreement," said Tillerson, the former chief executive of energy company ExxonMobil.
Tillerson had reportedly been among the advisors encouraging Trump to remain in the deal, arguing that staying in was good for US business while leaving would isolate the US internationally.
"I don't think we're going to change our ongoing efforts to reduce those emissions in the future either," Tillerson said.
Trump however argued that the Paris deal puts the US at a disadvantage, adding he would leave the door open for negotiating a better deal for US businesses and workers.
Trump on Friday acknowledged his decision was "controversial," but maintained it was "a big service to the American people."
European leaders have said the Paris accord cannot be renegotiated.
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt said it was up to other nations whether they would sit down to negotiate a new deal or engage on environmental issues.
However he was dismissive of European leaders' concerns, insisting their goal in opposing a new deal was to damage the US economy.
"The world applauded when we joined Paris. And you know why? I think they applauded because they knew it was going to put this country at an economic disadvantage," he said.
"And the reason European leaders ... want us to stay in is because they know it'll continue to shackle our economy, though we are leading the world with respect to our CO2 reduction."
Trump's administration will begin the process of withdrawing from the Paris agreement, a move that will not be completed until 2020, at the same time as he is expected to be engaged in a re-election campaign.
The Justice Department will take the first legal steps in the "next several weeks" and the US will immediately halt contributions to the UN Green Climate Fund, Pruitt said.
The withdrawal would leave the US more or less alone internationally, with just Syria and Nicaragua also not party to the agreement.
Share
