President Donald Trump has said the US will withdraw from the Paris climate change accord, sparking dismay and anger among world leaders.

In a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House, Mr Trump said he was fulfilling his "solemn duty to protect America and its citizens".

He said: "I am fighting every day for the great people of this country.

"Therefore, in order to fulfil my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the US will withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

"But begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction.


"We're getting out, but we will start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair."

:: Oil giants among businesses hitting out at Trump's decision

Image: Protesters outside the White House on the day Donald Trump withdrew US from Paris climate deal

:: Analysis - World leaders condemn Trump's climate change u-turn

Mr Trump said the US will "cease all implementation" of the accord as of Thursday.

Theresa May has told the President of her "disappointment" and reiterated Britain's commitment to the deal, according a Downing Street statement.

However, political rivals have accused her of not taking Mr Trump to task over his u-turn.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described her failure to join forces with the three other European G7 members in writing a letter of concern to Mr Trump as a "dereliction of duty".

He said: "Why does Theresa May not have her name on this joint decision? Given the chance to have a united front with our European partners she's opted instead for silence, and once again subservience to Donald Trump.

"A dereliction of duty to this country and to our planet": @jeremycorbyn says on @theresa_may's response to Trump's climate change move pic.twitter.com/CMMUNgFla4 — Sky News (@SkyNews) 2 June 2017

"It's a dereliction of both her duty to her country and our duty to our planet."

Sir Simon Hughes, the Lib Dems' former deputy leader, said: "Yet again, the UK Prime Minister appears unwilling to be critical on an issue of substance and just when our economy is going to depend more and more on renewable energy, which can really help with climate change."

In a joint statement, France, Germany and Italy said the climate deal could not be renegotiated.

French President Emmanuel Macron was damning. In a late-night TV address he said US had "turned its back on the world".

"France will not turn its back on Americans," he added, before inviting American scientists to come and work in France.

May: UK is committed to the Paris agreement

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Trump move could not and would not "stop all those of us who feel obliged to protect the planet".

The environmental and scientific communities were also among those to react with UK environmental law firm ClientEarth's chief executive James Thornton describing the move as an "act of vandalism".

Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society, said: "President Trump is not putting America first, he is tethering it to the past."

The White House claims the accord "is a BAD deal for Americans" and that by withdrawing Mr Trump will keep "his campaign promise to put American workers first".

What is the Paris Agreement?

White House documents state: "The accord was negotiated poorly by the Obama administration and signed out of desperation.

"The US is already leading the world in energy production and doesn't need a bad deal that will harm American workers."

Only Syria and Nicaragua are non-participants in the 195-nation accord agreed in Paris in 2015.

The countries that signed up agreed to take measures that cut the amount of CO2 being produced.

World leader mulled the impact of the US dropping out, the effects began to become clearer.

The Secretary General of OPEC, the group representing the world's main oil producing countries, said that reaching the goals of the Paris accord would be "very challenging" without US participation.

Experts from from the U.N. World Meteorological Organisation said Mr Trump's decision alone could add 0.3C to global temperatures by the end of the century.

China and the European Union have pledged unity in fighting global warming in a statement backed by all 28 EU nations including the UK.

Image: Climate protesters tried to pressure the President to stick to the deal

Mr Trump had vowed to cancel the Paris accord within 100 days of becoming president on 20 January.

Under Mr Obama, the US had committed to reducing its emissions by between 26% and 28% from 2005 levels by 2025.

The US accounts for more than 15% of the worldwide total of greenhouse gas emissions. Only China exceeds it.