What do you think? Leave a respectful comment.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 17, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX31JOP
Erica R. Hendry
By —

Erica R. Hendry

Dan Cooney
By —

Dan Cooney

By —

Jessica Yarvin

Here’s how leaders are reacting to Trump’s withdrawal from Paris climate agreement

Nation

President Donald Trump announced Thursday he would withdraw from the Paris climate accord, sparking a storm of reactions from lawmakers, foreign leaders and industry executives who largely feared what the exit would mean for the worldwide fight against climate change and America’s relationship with its allies.

WATCH: Trump announces withdrawal from Paris climate agreement

Trump had promised to withdraw from the deal — a pledge between nearly 200 countries to reduce carbon emissions worldwide — during his campaign for president. But in recent weeks, the president received conflicting advice from his advisers on whether he should follow through.

Here’s a look at how leaders around the world are reacting.

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

Republicans

House Speaker Paul Ryan

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine

Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas
“This is great news for the Texas economy and for hardworking Americans all across our country,” Cruz wrote.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah
“I look forward to working with the President to rein in the overregulation of the Obama administration and help America’s businesses compete globally,” Hatch wrote in a statement.

Rep. Ilena Ros- Lehtinen, R-Fla.

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo.

House Science Committee
Members wrote on Twitter that “Obama went around Congress and the American people.” Trump’s decision was “returning power to the people:

Democrats

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

“President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement is an abdication of American leadership and an international disgrace,” the 2016 presidential candidate wrote in a statement.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
“We can all agree that all people should be able to breathe clean air and live in a safe and healthy environment. Pulling out of the Paris Agreement is an irrational decision that is a disastrous step backward, threatens the future viability of our planet for future generations, and abdicates our role of leadership,” Harris wrote in a statement. “The United States has an obligation to combat this global threat to public health and safety here at home, and abroad.”

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
Withdrawing from Paris puts the U.S. government “at odds with US businesses, our closest allies and millions of Americans,” Coons wrote in a series of tweets after Trump’s announcement.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.
The “U.S. can’t remain an energy leader if we aren’t even at the negotiating table,” Heitkamp wrote in a series of tweets.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.

Sen. Kathleen Cortez-Masto, D-Nev.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.
“Trump’s decision will be a self-inflicted wound on our allies’ trust in American leadership,” Beyer wrote in a statement.

House Science Committee Democrats

FORMER LEADERS

Barack Obama
The former president tweeted Wednesday that Trump’s decision put the U.S. with “a small handful of nations that reject the future.” https://twitter.com/NewsHour/status/870364758020632579

Former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy
“It’s a disappointing and embarrassing day” for the U.S., McCarthy wrote in a statement.

Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz

Former Vice President Al Gore

“President Trump’s decision is profoundly in conflict with what the majority of Americans want in our president,” Gore wrote in a statement.

Former Vice President Joe Biden

MAYORS

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh

BUSINESSES

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt

Elon Musk
The man behind Tesla, SpaceX and chairman of SolarCity said he would abandon membership on presidential councils in light of Trump’s decision.

Apple CEO Tim Cook
“I spoke with President Trump on Tuesday and tried to persuade him to keep the U.S. in the agreement. But it wasn’t enough,” Cook said in a memo to Apple employees. “Climate change is real and we all share a responsibility to fight it. I want to reassure you that today’s developments will have no impact on Apple’s efforts to protect the environment. We power nearly all of our operations with renewable energy, which we believe is an example of something that’s good for our planet and makes good business sense as well.”

Amazon.com

“Amazon continues to support the Paris climate agreement and action on climate change. We believe that robust clean energy and climate policies can support American competitiveness, innovation, and job growth,” the company said.

IBM

IBM Statement on United States Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

“This agreement requires all participating countries to put forward their best efforts on climate change as determined by each country. IBM believes that it is easier to lead outcomes by being at the table, as a participant in the agreement, rather than from outside it.”

FOREIGN LEADERS

France, Germany, Italy
“We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies,” the leaders of the three countries said in a statement.

The European Commission

“Today is a sad day for the global community, as a key partner turns its back on the fight against climate change. The EU deeply regrets the unilateral decision by the Trump administration to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel

Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven

French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
tweeted before Trump’s official announcement
https://twitter.com/francediplo_EN/status/870265424226725888

UN Secretary-general António Guterres
tweeted before Trump’s official announcement

David O’Sullivan, the European Union’s ambassador to the U.S.

Miguel Arias Cañete, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action & Energy

OTHER DIGNITARIES

Astronaut Scott Kelly

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
The church has looked to the agreement as an “important international mechanism to promote environmental stewardship and encourage climate change migration,” it said in a statement, calling Trump’s decision “deeply troubling.” https://twitter.com/USCCB/status/870374150937886720

RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel

READ MORE: President Trump pulls U.S. out of Paris climate accord, sparking global criticism

Erica R. Hendry
By —

Erica R. Hendry

Erica R. Hendry is the digital news editor at PBS NewsHour.

@ericarhendry
Dan Cooney
By —

Dan Cooney

Dan is the PBS NewsHour's Social Media Editor/Producer.

@IAmDanCooney
By —

Jessica Yarvin

Support Provided By: Learn more

Additional Support Provided By:

Trending Now

  1. Read Feb 14 Opinion: Teachers aren’t losers. They’re lifesavers

  2. Watch Feb 15 Shields and Brooks on Trump’s national emergency, Democratic platform shift

  3. Watch Feb 16 Violent protests in Haiti may mean a humanitarian crisis

  4. Watch Feb 16 Pope sends ‘signal’ by defrocking ex-cardinal for sexual abuse

  5. Read Feb 14 Average tax refunds fall, fueling discontent with GOP-written law

The Latest