Republican presidential contender Donald Trump said he would renegotiate America´s role in the UN global climate accord, spelling potential doom for an agreement many views as a last chance to turn the tide on global warming.
A pull-out by the world´s second biggest carbon-emitting country would hobble the deal reached in Paris last December by 177 nations, who for the first time in more than two decades found a common vision for curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
“I will be looking at that very, very seriously, and at a minimum, I will be renegotiating those agreements, at a minimum. And at a maximum I may do something else,” the New York real estate mogul said in an interview with media.
“But those agreements are one-sided agreements and they are bad for the United States.”
Trump said he did not believe China, the world´s top emitter of the carbon dioxide gas that many scientists believe is contributing to global climate change, would adhere to its pledge under the Paris deal.
“Not a big fan because other countries don¬¥t adhere to it, and China doesn¬¥t adhere to it, and China¬¥s spewing into the atmosphere,” he said.
The accord to transform the world´s fossil-fuel driven economy was a potent signal to investors. It seeks to limit a rise in global temperatures to less than 2 degrees Celsius through combined national pledges to cut emissions, and provide funding for developing nations to mitigate the damaging effects of a sea level rise and climate change.
The Obama administration pledged a 26 to 28 percent domestic reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2025 compared to 2005 while China promised it would halt increases in carbon emissions by 2030. Both countries have promised to ratify the deal this year.
Many US Republicans have found fault with the deal for overreacting to what they see as an uncertain threat.
