Will Trump Remove America from Paris Agreement?

President Trump has repeatedly suggested leaving the Paris Agreement, an Obama-era climate change treaty that seeks to fight global warming by cutting carbon emissions. 

“I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week,” tweeted Trump on Saturday following the close of the G7 summit he attended in Italy.

Trump, who once called global warminga hoax, faced serious pressure from G7 leaders to honor the Obama-era climate agreement.

“The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not.” 

Newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron was more optimistic, citing Trump’s “capacity to listen” and calling him a “leader with strong opinions.” Macron told Trump that committing to the climate agreement is “indispensable for the reputation of the United States.”

The US was the only country of the 7 not to recommit to the treaty. 

“The United States of America is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics,” reads the communiqué released after the summit.

While Trump failed to endorse the agreement, he did agree to language in the communiqué that aims to fight protectionism and commit to a rules-based international trade system.   

Defense Secretary James Mattis announced Saturday that Trump remained “wide open” on the issue of climate change; but according to Newsmax, Trump already told EPA director Scott Pruitt that he had made up his mind. 

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The Paris Accord is the first legally binding global climate change agreement in history. The treaty went into effect in November 2016. It has been signed by 195 UFCCC nations and ratified by 147.