EU, China reaffirm climate accord as Trump mulls U.S. pullout

The European Union and China plan to reaffirm their commitment to the Paris climate change accord, even if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to pull out. “Climate change is not a fairy tale. It is a tough reality which affects peoples’ daily lives,” European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said in a statement. The United States joined the accord in December 2015, along with 194 other countries—only Syria and Nicaragua declined to sign on. The nonbinding agreement asks countries to limit global warming to “well below” 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, from pre-industrial levels, and to “pursue efforts” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Without new restrictions, the United Nations claims temperatures could rise between 4.7 degrees Fahrenheit and 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. Trump previously criticized the agreement, calling it unfair and harmful to U.S. job growth. The president discussed options this morning with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, who supports withdrawing. Trump will meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later today to continue discussions. Tillerson reportedly has urged Trump to stick with the accord. Trump tweeted this morning he will make a final decision sometime this week.

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