The mayor of New York has pledged that the city will continue its commitment to the Paris Agreement even if Donald Trump abandons the historic accords.

Bill de Blasio is the latest in a growing line of mayors controlling some of America’s largest cities who have reinstated their commitment to fight climate change locally.

“The President withdrawing from the Paris Agreement would be horribly destructive for the planet, the country, and this city,” he wrote on Twitter.

Trump signs order overhauling Obama's attempts to slow climate change

“President Trump should know that climate change is a dagger aimed straight at the heart of New York City.

“The Paris Accord was the biggest step forward we've taken in many years. It's unconscionable for the president to step away from it.

“But we'll take matters into our own hands. I plan to sign an executive order maintaining New York City’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.”

Mr Trump has not yet announced his decision but multiple reports say he has told aides he will withdraw the US from the accords, following years of controversial statements on climate change including calling global warming a “hoax”.

Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angles, has urged Mr Trump to “embrace” the Paris Agreement and was among more than 70 mayors who pledged to “forge ahead even in the absence of federal support” with an open letter to the President.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke – filled with the carbon that is driving climate change – drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. “Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals,” says the photographer. “Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow.” Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a “public health emergency”. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

The letter, sent in December, was signed by Mr Blasio, Mr Garcetti and the mayors of cities including Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Orlando, San Francisco and many more.

American allies around the world have sounded public warnings over the consequences of withdrawing from the agreement, seeing nations including China and Russia restate their commitments.

Li Keqiang, the Chinese Premier, said says fighting climate change is a “global consensus [that is] not invented by China”, in apparent reference to a 2012 tweet by Mr Trump where he claimed “global warming was created by and for the Chinese” to damage American trade.

The US is the world’s second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, responsible for 15 per cent of all emissions.

Mr Trump claimed he was still listening to “a lot of people both ways” on Wednesday but the White House signalled that he was likely to decide on exiting the global pact, fulfilling one of his principal campaign pledges.