WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House official says President Donald Trump is expected to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord.
But the official says there may be “caveats in the language” that Trump uses to announce the withdrawal — leaving open the possibility that the decision isn’t final.
The official insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the decision before the official announcement.
Nearly 200 nations, including the United States, agreed in 2015 to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change.
During Trump’s overseas trip last week, European leaders pressed him to keep the U.S. in the landmark agreement.
Trump promised during his presidential campaign to pull the U.S. out of the deal.
A small team was deciding if they should formally withdraw, which could take years, or exit the United Nations climate change treaty.
CBS News confirmed the report, saying Trump had told allies he would be pulling out of the deal.
Fox News also cited an unidentified source confirming the withdrawal.
Trump who has previously called global warming a hoax, refused to endorse the landmark climate change accord at a summit of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Saturday, saying he needed more time to decide. He then tweeted that he would make an announcement this week.
The accord, agreed on by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015, aims to limit planetary warming in part by slashing carbon dioxide and other emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
Under the pact, the United States committed to reducing its emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.
The decision to withdraw from the climate accord was influenced by a letter from 22 Republican U.S. senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling for an exit, Axios reported.
Former President Barack Obama, who helped broker the accord, praised the accord during a trip to Europe this month.
