President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE on Monday skipped a session at the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in France focused on climate, biodiversity and oceans.

The president was not in the room when reporters were allowed to observe part of the session, and his seat was empty. The heads of government of the other six nations that comprise the G-7 were there.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The President had scheduled meetings and bilaterals with Germany and India, so a senior member of the Administration attended in his stead," press secretary Stephanie Grisham Stephanie GrishamIvana Trump on Melania as first lady: 'She's very quiet, and she really doesn't go to too many places' The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump uses White House as campaign backdrop Coronavirus tests not required for all Melania Trump speech attendees: report MORE later told reporters.

Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel a short time after the climate session and was asked if he had attended.

"I'm going to. In fact, it's going to be our next session. I want clear air and clean water," Trump said. It was unclear if he heard a reporter who noted the session had just happened.

During the climate meeting, leaders approved a $20 million aid package to help Brazil and other South American countries address fires engulfing swaths of the Amazon rainforest, French President Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel MacronNavalny released from hospital after suspected poisoning US-China tensions shadow United Nations meeting The US is missing an opportunity in Lebanon MORE said.

Reuters reported that Macron told reporters that they should not "interpret" Trump's absence from the session and that the U.S. was aligned with other nations in biodiversity and the Amazon rainforest issues.

The issue of climate change has divided Trump and other G-7 leaders. He has characterized it as a hoax and cast doubt on government reports warning about the severe effects of a warming planet.

The president also pledged shortly after taking office that he would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, a global pact to reduce emissions and fight climate change that each of the other G-7 members has signed.

The president left last year's G-7 summit in Canada early and missed a session on climate change and clean energy as a result.

Updated at 8:17 a.m.