Paris Climate Accord unstoppable says UN chief after U.S. exit

Paris Climate Accord unstoppable says UN chief after U.S. exit

UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared on Friday in St. Petersburg that the Paris Agreement on climate change was on course and unstoppable.

Guterres, who made the remarks on climate change at a press encounter in St. Petersburg, Russia, also declared that “climate change is undeniable”.

The remarks of the UN chief might not be unconnected with the decision of the U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday to withdraw the country from the Paris Climate Accord.

“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,” the UN chief said.

Trump had called for a renegotiation of the Paris Climate Agreement, which as at May, 195 members of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change had signed and 147 had ratified.

Guterres, however, asked all governments to go ahead with the implementation of the climate accord already reached.

“I urge all the governments around the world to stay the course, to remain committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement to the benefit of all of us.

“And in relation to U.S. society, I am deeply convinced that states, cities, the business community, the civil society, will also remain engaged, will bet on the green economy.

“Because the green economy is the good economy, it is the economy of the future.

“Because this is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do,

“And those that will be betting on the implementation of the Paris Agreement, on the green economy, will be the ones that have a leading role in the economy of the 21st century.”

Trump had, in a nationwide broadcast, announced: “To fulfil my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the U.S.will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord but begin negotiations to re-enter our way into Paris Accord.

“Or in really entirely new transaction or terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people and its tax payers.

“So, we are getting out but we will start to negotiate and we would see if we could make a deal that is fair and if we can, that’s great and if we can’t, that’s fine.

“As President, I can put no other consideration before the wellbeing of the American citizens. The Paris Climate Accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States”.

According to him, compliance with the terms of the Paris Accord and the onerous energy restriction that is placed on the U.S. can cost America as much as 2.7 million job loss by 2025.

(Source: NAN)