UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on the international community to implement the Paris climate agreement despite the US withdrawal from the accord.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Guterres urged governments to "stay the course" and act to combat climate change. "(Climate change) is undeniable. And it is one of the biggest threats to our present world and to the future of our planet. On the other hand, climate action is unstoppable," he said.
Guterres also voiced his confidence in responsible US corporations, organizations and individuals to carry on with the cause.
US President Donald Trump announces US withdrawal from the Paris agreement in the White House on Thursday. /VCG Photo
US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he was withdrawing the US from the 2015 climate agreement, making good on a campaign promise but drawing criticism from the international community and environmental groups. Trump said the Paris deal disadvantaged the US “to the exclusive benefit of other countries,” leaving American businesses and taxpayers to absorb the cost.
In a statement by the UN on Thursday, the UN secretary-general said the decision by the US to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change is a major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote global security.
The landmark agreement, which was reached in Paris in December 2015, outlines a target of restricting the rise of global temperatures to less than two degrees Celsius.
At a press conference in Geneva on Friday, officials from the World Meteorological Organization estimated that the temperature increase at year 2100 will be 0.3 Celsius higher due to the US withdrawal alone.
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