Donald Trump’s US to join Nicaragua and Syria by leaving Paris climate deal Donald Trump has decided to pull the United States out of the Paris climate change deal, joining Nicaragua and war-torn […]

Donald Trump has decided to pull the United States out of the Paris climate change deal, joining Nicaragua and war-torn Syria as the only nations outside the global agreement.

The President is working on details of the withdrawal, sources close to the decision told the news site Axios.

One option would see the United States formally withdraw from the Paris deal using the mechanism in the treaty, entering a three-year process similar to Brexit.

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But another, more extreme route, could see the world’s largest economy abandon the UN agreements that underpin Paris and much other work on climate change. This would be tantamount to turning its back on the problem of climate change on the whole.

‘Hoax’

Mr Trump has referred to climate change as a “hoax” on several occasions in the past, even blaming China at one point for making it up as a concept.

“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive,” he said in 2012.

He failed to reaffirm American commitment to the accord at the G7 meeting in Sicily at the weekend.

Scott Pruitt, the Trump-appointed head of the Environmental Protection Agency in the US, has reportedly been working with a small team to decide on the best route forward.

Mr Pruitt’s work has thus far been hidden from the public, with several freedom of information requests for access to his schedule – normally a given for high ranking officials – coming up with nothing.

International reaction was ambivalent as countries and institutions wait to learn more.

Historic turning point

The Paris treaty has been signed by 195 countries. The deal, agreed in 2015, was referred to as a “historic turning point” at the time and was supposed to make a serious impact on climate change by 2020.

“If they decide to pull out it would be disappointing but I really do not think this would change the course of mankind,” European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic told Reuters.

“There is a much stronger expectation from our partners across the world from Africa, Asia and China that Europe should assume leadership in this effort and we are ready to do that.”

German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said: “I can only reiterate the well-known position that the German government unequivocally supports the Paris climate agreement and is campaigning for it to be quickly implemented and hopes the USA remains committed to this agreement.”