The Paris climate agreement was a step forward. President Trump's decision to withdraw from the landmark agreement was several giant steps in the opposite direction.

That's the underlying message of former president Barack Obama's statement on his successor's controversial move.

Brief and to the point, Obama never mentions Trump by name. Instead, he pointedly refers to the “absence of American leadership,” a jabbing phrase that for many Trump critics extends beyond the climate agreement.

Statement from President Barack Obama on the Paris climate agreement:

A year and a half ago, the world came together in Paris around the first-ever global agreement to set the world on a low-carbon course and protect the world we leave to our children.

It was steady, principled American leadership on the world stage that made that achievement possible.

It was bold American ambition that encouraged dozens of other nations to set their sights higher as well. And what made that leadership and ambition possible was America’s private innovation and public investment in growing industries like wind and solar — industries that created some of the fastest new streams of good-paying jobs in recent years, and contributed to the longest streak of job creation in our history.

Simply put, the private sector already chose a low-carbon future. And for the nations that committed themselves to that future, the Paris Agreement opened the floodgates for businesses, scientists, and engineers to unleash high-tech, low-carbon investment and innovation on an unprecedented scale.

The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack.

But even in the absence of American leadership; even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we’ve got.

Trump’s decision to leave Paris probably won’t win him any new friends, politically speaking

Is the big story ‘unmasking’ or Trump-Russia connections? Congress can’t decide.

The Senate has a long history of bashing Ted Cruz, one of its own</s>Kathy Griffin and her attorney Lisa Bloom hosted a press conference Friday in San Francisco to address the fallout from her viral photo of the bloodied head of President Trump.

At the press conference, Griffin told the reporters of Trump; “If you don’t stand up, you get run over”. A sitting president of the U.S. and his grown children and the First Lady are personally trying to ruin my life forever. You guys know him, he’s never gonna stop. I don’t think I’m going to have a career after this”. She said and burst into tears, according to reports.

[In case you missed it] U.S Buildings turn green in support of climate change

Mashable reports Griffin apologizing on a video, “I sincerely apologize,” she said. “I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people”. “I’m not afraid of Donald Trump. He’s a bully,” Griffin said to open her statements at the press conference. “I’ve dealt with older white guys trying to get my down my whole career.”

Her open statements at the conference were, “I’m not afraid of Donald Trump. He’s a bully. I’ve dealt with older white guys trying to get my down my whole career”. They both shed light on Griffin’s experience since the issue blew up, “We all get what’s going on here,” Griffin said. “They’re using me as the shiny object so that nobody’s talking about his FBI investigation.”

[See Also] Should Donald Trump have considered Elon Musk and stayed in Paris

Griffin’s attorney Bloom explained the motivation behind the controversial image, which was motivated by the President’s comments about Megyn Kelly. “It was a parody of Trump’s own sexist remarks taken to an extreme absurdist visual”, She said.

Bloom and Griffin did not mince words saying it was a woman thing with Trump. “His misogyny knows no bounds,” Bloom said, calling him “the most woman-hating and tyrannical president in U.S. history.”</s>(ABC NEWS) -- A senior White House official told ABC News that the President is poised to drop out of the Paris climate accord.

Trump has repeatedly called into question the science behind climate change, once calling it a "very expensive hoax." During his campaign, Trump said he would "cancel" the Paris agreement and his administration has ordered cuts to funding for climate science.

The non-binding international agreement went into effect last year and calls for countries to set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement was signed by former Secretary of State John Kerry on Earth Day, April 22, 2016 on the U.S. behalf. President Obama signed it into law via executive action, bypassing the then Republican-controlled Senate.

What is the Paris Climate Agreement?

The Paris Agreement is an accord sponsored by the U.N. designed to help slow global climate change. The 147 parties who ratified the convention set a goal of limiting global temperatures increases this century to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 35.6 degrees Farenheit, above levels from the pre-industrial era, defined as the years 1850-1900. It also states an intention to work toward a more stringent limit of only 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 34.7 degrees Farenheit, above pre-industrial era levels.

After the conference, each country set its own "Nationally Determined Contributions" (NDCs) and agreed to report its progress regularly on decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. To remain in the deal, the U.S. must cut its emissions by 26 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.

Where do members of the Trump administration stand on the agreement?

Throughout his campaign for the presidency, Trump said he would roll back environmental protections and regulations and threatened to "cancel" the deal.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt said The Paris Agreement is bad for America because it’s bad for jobs. However, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former chief executive of Exxon, said he supports staying in the deal. White House adviser Ivanka Trump set up a review process to make sure her father received information from experts in both the public and private sectors before making a decision on the agreement.

What are the consequences of withdrawing?

If the U.S. pulls out of The Paris Agreement, it would become one of the largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions not included in the agreement, according to EPA data. The United States would become one of only three nations in a U.N. climate group not to be signed onto the deal, alongside Syria and Nicaragua.

“The Paris agreement was designed to be flexible so that parties could respond to changing domestic circumstances,” Andrew Light, a distinguished senior fellow at the World Resources Institute told ABC News. Light said that the Trump administration could face fallout if it withdraws from the agreement.

“It could potentially harm U.S. businesses who are trying to compete with businesses from other countries in the exploding global market in renewable energy,” Light told ABC News. He went on to explain that withdrawal could look like “Trump is turning his back on the world” by walking away from the spirit of global cooperation that the Paris accord created.

State and religious leaders have expressed desire for Trump to continue U.S. participation in the agreement. The Pope gave Trump copies of his published works on climate change as a parting gift following their meeting on May 24, which some read as an encouragement toward the Paris accord.

Although the official cautions no decision is final until the president announces it, the source said the White House is now working on how to roll out and explain the reasons behind that announcement.

ABC News' Jonathan Karl, Conor Ferguson, Catherine Thorbecke, Michael Edison Hayden and Evan Simon contributed to this report.</s>Former President Barack Obama said on Thursday that the cities and businesses of the United States should step up to reduce greenhouse gases after President Donald Trump announced that America would withdraw from the Paris climate change accord.

The mayor of Pittsburgh, pushing back on Trump's statement that he was elected to represent the citizens of that former steel-making giant rather than those of Paris, condemned the withdrawal.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk immediately announced he will quit presidential advisory councils. Disney CEO Bob Iger said he was out, too. General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said "Climate change is real. Industry must now lead and not depend on government."

"The United States joins Syria, Nicaragua & Russia in deciding not to participate with world's Paris Agreement. It's now up to cities to lead," Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a Democrat, said on Twitter.

Trump said at an announcement at the Rose Garden on Thursday that the United States would withdraw from the international agreement negotiated under Obama, citing a desire to protect American jobs and fuel what he has claimed would be three percent economic growth.

Related: What It Means That Trump Is Leaving the Paris Climate Agreement

Because Obama didn't ask the Senate for approval of the Paris accord, Trump can act unilaterally without the consent of Congress. Democrats, however, could slow down any action on the floor in retaliation of the decision and tie any pending nominations to the issue, actions that won't change the outcome but frustrate Republicans and the White House.

Obama said in a statement that a withdrawal means an abdication of American leadership.

"The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack," Obama said in the statement.

"But even in the absence of American leadership; even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I'm confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we've got," Obama said.

Related: California and Other States Step Into the Climate Policy Void

Reaction on Capitol Hill was mostly partisan, with Republicans standing by the president's decision, praising the U.S.'s withdrawal as good for the economy. "President Trump has once again put families and jobs ahead of left-wing ideology and should be commended for his action," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

But some Republicans in Congress opposed Trump's move. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said on Twitter: "Climate change requires a global approach. I'm disappointed in the President's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement."

Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida, who is expected to have a tough re-election in his swing district in south Florida, lobbed a series of tweets in opposition.

Trump had pledged on the campaign trail to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate accord, which is a non-binding agreement that asks that all signing countries — rich and poor — take concrete steps to reduce their carbon emissions in the face of climate change.

The Obama administration pledged a 26 to 28 percent cut in U.S. emissions, which Republicans have criticized for potentially having a negative impact on the American economy and its energy sector.

Former Sectary of State John Kerry said on MSNBC that the move to withdraw from the Paris deal was "an extraordinary abdication of American leadership."

He noted that the program was voluntary, and the United States was not forced to do anything under the accord.

"It was a voluntary program. We designed the program," Kerry said. "The president was not truthful with the American people today, and the president who talked about putting 'America first' has now put America last."

Withdrawing from the climate deal could take three years, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said this week.

And French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni said in a joint statement Thursday that they take note "with regret" the U.S. decision to pull out of the 2015 agreement.

The three leaders say they regard the accord as "a cornerstone in the cooperation between our countries, for effectively and timely tackling climate change."

They added that the course charted by the accord is "irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated."

Macron, Merkel and Gentiloni say they remain committed to the deal and will "step up efforts" to support the poorest and most threatened nations.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric called Trump's decision a "major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote global security."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday "We are deeply disappointed that the United States federal government has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement" and said Canada is committed to fighting climate change.

Trump on Thursday left open the possibility of renegotiating what he called a better deal that would put American taxpayers first, and suggested the climate deal was a ruse that put the United States at a competitive disadvantage.

"The agreement is a massive redistribution of United States wealth to other countries," Trump said.

Former President Bill Clinton said on Twitter: "Walking away from Paris treaty is a mistake. Climate change is real. We owe our children more. Protecting our future also creates more jobs."

And Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein said in his first tweet from a verified account that "Today's decision is a setback for the environment and for the U.S.'s leadership position in the world," adding the hashtag #ParisAgreement.

The governors of New York, California, and Washington state said in a statement that they would form a "United States Climate Alliance" which they called "a coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement and taking aggressive action on climate change."

A speaker at a protest near the White House called the move "treason" and the crowd chanted "lock him up," a play off of Trump supporters' chants targeting Hillary Clinton during the presidential campaign.

Trump's announced withdrawal from the climate deal was not unexpected. On Wednesday in a tweet in which Trump said he would announce his decision on Thursday, the president ended with his signature phrase: "Make America great again."</s>President Donald Trump came under pressure on Wednesday from corporate CEOs, US allies, Democrats and some fellow Republicans to keep the United States in a global pact to fight climate change, while a source close to the matter said Trump was preparing to pull out of the Paris accord.

A US withdrawal could deepen a rift with US allies. The United States would join Syria and Nicaragua as the world’s only non-participants in the landmark 195-nation accord agreed upon in Paris in 2015.

Responding to shouted questions from reporters in the White House Oval Office, Trump declined to say whether he had made up his mind, saying, “You’ll find out very soon.”

“I’m hearing from a lot of people, both ways,” Trump said as he met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump blasted the accord, and called global warming a hoax aimed at weakening US industry.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was working out terms of the planned withdrawal with US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, an oil industry ally and climate change doubter.

The pact was the first legally binding global deal to fight climate change. Virtually every nation voluntarily committed to steps aimed at curbing global emissions of “greenhouse” gases. These include carbon dioxide generated from burning of fossil fuels that scientists blame for a warming planet, sea level rise, droughts and more frequent violent storms.

The United States committed to reduce its emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.

Advocates of the climate deal pressured Trump, who has changed his mind on large decisions before even after signaling a move in the opposite direction.

The chief executives of dozens of companies have made last-minute appeals to Trump. The CEOs of ExxonMobil Corp , Apple Inc, Dow Chemical Co, Unilever NV and Tesla Inc were among those urging him to remain in the agreement. Tesla’s Elon Musk threatened to quit White House advisory councils if the president pulls out.

Musk said: “I’ve done all I can to advise directly” to Trump and through others in the White House.

Robert Murray, CEO of Murray Energy Corp, an Ohio-based coal company and major Trump campaign donor, urged Trump to withdraw from the deal. But on Wednesday, US coal company shares fell alongside renewable energy stocks following reports that Trump would pull out.

Pulling the United States from the accord could further alienate American allies in Europe already wary of Trump and call into question US leadership and trustworthiness on one of the world’s leading issues. It also would be one more step by the Republican president to erase the legacy of his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, who helped broker the accord and praised it during a trip to Europe this month.

A US pullout could have sweeping implications. The deal relies heavily on reductions in emissions by big polluter nations, and the United States is the world’s second-biggest carbon dioxide emitter behind China.

At a conference near Los Angeles, Democrat Hillary Clinton, who Trump defeated in the 2016 presidential election, said withdrawing would be a mistake. “Part of what keeps us going is that America’s word is good, and that you stand with your prior administration whether it was of your party or not,” she said.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who Trump considered for secretary of state, said on Twitter that affirmation of the Paris agreement “is not only about the climate: It is also about America remaining the global leader.”

Democratic US Senators Bob Menendez and Jack Reed wrote a letter urging Trump not to withdraw. They said withdrawal would undermine US credibility and its position as a global leader, empowering nations like China to drive the climate agenda and set international standards while also reaping economic benefits from a growing clean energy sector.

US allies rallied behind the Paris accord on Wednesday.

In Berlin, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stressed withdrawal would take years, saying, “The Americans can’t just leave the climate protection agreement. Mr. Trump believes that because he doesn’t know the details.”

China and the European Union will seek on Friday to buttress the agreement. In a statement backed by all 28 EU states, the European Union and China will commit to full implementation of the accord, EU and Chinese officials said.

Trump has said the accord would cost the US economy trillions of dollars without tangible benefit. For the Republican president, a withdrawal would reflect his “America First” approach to policy, unencumbered by international obligations.

Trump refused to endorse the accord at a summit of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Saturday in Italy, saying he needed more time to decide.

The Sierra Club said a US withdrawal from the Paris deal would be a “historic mistake.” Friends of the Earth said the action would “sacrifice our planet to the fossil fuel industry” and make America the world’s “foremost climate villain.”

Trump vowed during his 2016 presidential campaign to “cancel” the Paris deal within 100 days of becoming president on Jan. 20, part of an effort to bolster US oil and coal industries.

Trump’s advisers have been split about the Paris accord. Senior adviser Steve Bannon, who wants Trump to focus on actions that will rev up his conservative political base, has long opposed it. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, has come to the view that the standards set out in the agreement did not work for the US economy and the question was whether to try to change those standards within the agreement or pull out, another senior administration official said.

Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, favors staying in, the official said, and she has sought to ensure her father heard all sides in the debate.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>Tesla CEO Elon Musk stirred up a bit of controversy a few months ago when he joined President Trump’s s economic and manufacturing advisory councils. While Musk’s participation predictably generated no shortage of criticism, Musk maintained that he would use the position for “doing good” on a range of issues.

As Musk explained via Twitter earlier this year: “Advisory councils simply provide advice and attending does not mean that I agree with actions by the Administration. My goals are to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy and to help make humanity a multi-planet civilization, a consequence of which will be the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and a more inspiring future for all.”

All that said, Elon Musk earlier today took to Twitter again and relayed that he will leave the councils if President Trump opts to pull out from the Paris climate agreement.

While nothing is officially confirmed in either direction just yet, Axios earlier today reported that Trump has already decided to withdraw. As a quick refresher, the Paris Agreement — as it’s sometimes called — is an all-encompassing agreement designed to stem the rise of global temperatures, with the express goal of “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”

As for why Trump might be interested in pulling out of the agreement, CBS notes:

But pulling out of the agreement is popular with Mr. Trump’s political base, many of whom are skeptical of the science underlying climate change policy. Critics of the accord say the limits on emissions place an onerous and disproportionate burden on American businesses…

With Musk now on record stating that he will leave the aforementioned councils if the Trump rumors are true, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few days.</s>U.S. President Donald Trump interacts with reporters as he welcomes Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst | Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, striking a major blow to worldwide efforts to combat climate change and distancing the country from many allies abroad. He said the U.S. would try to negotiate re-entry on better terms.

"As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the nonbinding Paris accord," Trump said during a White House Rose Garden announcement. Suggesting renegotiating re-entry was not a major priority, he said, "If we can, great. If we can't, that's fine."

By abandoning the world's chief effort to slow the tide of planetary warming, Trump was fulfilling a top campaign pledge. But he was also breaking from many of America's staunches allies, who have expressed alarm about the decision.

Under former President Barack Obama, the U.S. had agreed to reduce emissions to 26 per cent to 28 per cent of 2005 levels by 2025 — about 1.6 billion tons.

But Trump said the agreement disadvantaged the U.S. "to the exclusive benefit of other countries," leaving American businesses and taxpayers to absorb the cost.

Scientists say Earth is likely to reach more dangerous levels of warming sooner as a result of the president's decision because America contributes so much to rising temperatures. Calculations suggest withdrawal could result in emissions of up to 3 billion tons of additional carbon dioxide in the air a year — enough to melt ice sheets faster, raise seas higher and trigger more extreme weather.

The U.S. is the world's second-largest emitter of carbon, following only China. Beijing, however, has reaffirmed its commitment to meeting its targets under the Paris accord, recently cancelling construction of about 100 coal-fired power plants and investing billions in massive wind and solar projects.

White House talking points obtained by The Associated Press said the Paris accord was "a BAD deal for Americans" and that the president's action would keep "his campaign promise to put American workers first."

"The Accord," the document went on to say, "was negotiated poorly by the Obama Administration and signed out of desperation."

"The U.S. is already leading the world in energy production and doesn't need a bad deal that will harm American workers," it read.

The White House had signalled earlier in the week that withdrawal was likely, but Trump has been known to change his mind at the last minute on such major decisions.

White House aides were divided on the topic and had been deliberating on "caveats in the language" as late as Wednesday, one official said.</s>President Donald Trump announced America's shock withdrawal from the Paris climate accord Thursday, prompting a furious global backlash and throwing efforts to slow global warming into serious doubt.

In a sharply nationalistic address from the White House Rose Garden, Trump announced the United States would immediately stop implementing the "bad" 195-nation accord.

"I cannot, in good conscience, support a deal that punishes the United States," he said, decrying the "draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country."

Trump repeatedly painted the pact -- struck by his predecessor Barack Obama -- as a deal that did not "put America first" and was too easy on economic rivals China, India and Europe.

"I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," he said. "We don't want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won't be."

Trump offered no details about how, or when, a formal withdrawal would happen, and at one point suggested a renegotiation could take place.

"We're getting out but we'll start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. And if we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine," he said.

That idea was unceremoniously slapped down by furious allies in Europe, who joined figures from around the United States and the world in condemning the move.

"The agreement cannot be renegotiated," France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement.

The United States is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China, so Trump's decision could seriously hamper efforts to cut emissions and limit global temperature increases.

Amid Trump's domestic critics was Obama, who said the United States was "joining a handful of nations that reject the future."

Nicaragua and Syria are the only countries not party to the Paris accord, the former seeing it as not ambitious enough and the latter being racked by a brutal civil war.

Hillary Clinton, Trump's opponent in last year's White House race, called the decision to pull out a "historic mistake."

"The world is moving forward together on climate change. Paris withdrawal leaves American workers & families behind," she said in a tweet.

The Democratic governors of New York, California and Washington states formed a quick alliance, vowing to respect the standards agreed on under the Paris deal.

In New York, some major buildings, like the World Trade Center and City Hall, were lit green in solidarity with the climate agreement, echoing a move in Paris.

With much of the implementation of the accord taking place at the local level, the Paris accord's supporters hope the deal will be in hibernation rather than killed off entirely.

Trump's decision is likely to play well with the Republican base, with the more immediate damage on the diplomatic front.

The US president called his counterparts in Britain, Canada, France and Germany to explain his decision.

But traditional US allies were uncharacteristically blunt in their condemnation of the move, which comes amid already strained relationships with the hard-charging president.

Germany said the US was "harming" the entire planet, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called the decision "seriously wrong."

Ever the showman, the 70-year-old Trump had given his decision a reality TV-style tease, refusing to indicate his preference either way until his announcement.

Opponents of withdrawal -- said to include Trump's daughter Ivanka -- had warned that America's leadership role on the world stage was at stake, along with the environment.

A dozen large companies including oil major BP, agrochemical giant DuPont, Google, Intel and Microsoft, had urged Trump to remain in the deal.

Ultimately, the lobbying by Trump's environmental protection chief Scott Pruitt and chief strategist Steve Bannon urging the president to leave won out.

In the wake of the announcement, Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk and Disney chief Robert Iger announced they would no longer take part in presidential business councils.

"Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world," Musk said.

GE head Jeff Immelt said he was "disappointed" with the decision: "Climate change is real. Industry must now lead and not depend on government."

White House officials acknowledged that under the deal, formal withdrawal may not take place until after the 2020 election.

Hours ahead of Trump's announcement, China's Premier Li Keqiang pledged to stay the course on implementing the climate accord in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and urged other countries to do likewise.

China has been investing billions in clean energy infrastructure, as it battles to clear up the choking pollution enveloping its cities.

China and the US are responsible for some 40 percent of the world's emissions and experts had warned it was vital for both to remain in the Paris agreement if it is to succeed.

The leader of Asia's other behemoth, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who is due to visit the White House shortly -- has said failing to act on climate change would be "morally criminal."

Trump's announcement comes less than 18 months after the climate pact was adopted in the French capital, the fruit of a hard-fought agreement between Beijing and Washington under Obama's leadership.

The Paris Agreement commits signatories to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, which is blamed for melting ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels and more violent weather events.

They vowed steps to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times and to "pursue efforts" to hold the increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius.</s>"Will have no choice but to depart [White House] councils," Musk said on Twitter when asked what he would do if Trump withdraws from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Musk said he has done all he can to advise Trump directly and via White House councils and contacts to remain in the international climate agreement, and is unsure what decision the president will ultimately make.

Although the president is facing strong criticism from Democrats and environmentalists, the media reported that Trump was leaning toward withdrawing from the agreement.

In 2015, the Paris deal, drafted within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and championed by former US President Barack Obama, was signed by 194 countries and ratified by 143 states. The agreement aims at keeping the increase in average global temperature at below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.</s>From Macron to Musk: World rallies behind #ParisAgreement following Trump's withdrawal

President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change has drawn swift backlash from politicians, business leaders, celebrities and green groups across the world in a renewed effort to step up the fight against global warming.

In the 24-hours since Trump's controversial decision, the #ParisAgreement has been trending on Twitter, with a host of social media voicing their dissent - ranging from Trump's presidential predecessor Barack Obama through to Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Zuckerberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Notably, Tesla’s chief executive Elon Musk has announced that he will be leaving the US President's advisory council, stepping down as a technology industry advisor for the White House. Musk has been critical of politicians in the past, accusing them of taking the “easy path” to subsidise fossil fuels.

Musk took to Twitter to announce that he was “departing presidential councils”, noting that “climate change is real” and that “leaving Paris is not good for America or the world". Walt Disney’s chairman Robert Iger has also resigned from the President’s Council over Trump's Paris Agreement decision.

Business leaders have long sought to appeal to Trump’s businessman persona to persuade the President to remain in the Paris Agreement. Musk signed a joint-letter alongside the chief executives of Unilever, Virgin, Coca-Cola, Walt Disney and others to highlight the economic benefits of remaining in the accord.

But in this instance, Trump’s “art of the deal” is to ignore what all others are pursuing. Overnight, Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook, Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai and Facebook’s Zuckerberg all used social media to note their disappoint over the decision.

“Withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement is bad for the environment, bad for the economy, and puts our children at risk,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post. “Stopping climate change is something we can only do as a global community, and we have to act together before it’s too late.”

Even the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein - who hasn’t tweet since he joined the platform in 2011 - posted a message deriding Trump's decision.

While businesses stand defiant against the decision, cities and states are seemingly scaling up climate ambitions. An open letter from 82 mayors representing 39 million Americans has promised to “adopt, honour, and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement”. Mayors from the likes of New York City, Washington and San Francisco had called on Trump to expand renewable energy sources and green infrastructure to achieve US energy security and create a manufacturing, energy and construction boom in America.

The push from cities has been spearheaded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Since Trump’s announcement, Bloomberg has so far gathered 30 mayors, three governors, more than 80 university presidents and more than 100 businesses to attempt to get a group submission accepted by the United Nations. If successful, the submission would place the group’s climate actions alongside the national contributions agreed under the Paris Agreement by other nations.

French President Emmanuel Macron has led the responses from other nations. Using the slogan “Make Our Planet Great Again”, Macron reiterated his commitment to finding new ways to limit the impacts of global warming in line with the accord, in a message posted on YouTube.

Here in the UK, a range of ministers including Amber Rudd, Nick Clegg and Greg Clark have reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, while Labour's Jeremy Corbyn and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas have outright criticised Trump over his decision.

Prime Minister Theresa May has also reportedly told Trump of her “disappointment” over the decision, according to a Downing Street statement. However, May has not signed a joint condemnation from France, Germany, and Italy.

For Trump's decision to come into effect, the US will have to undergo a complex legal process to officially withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Parties can only pull out three years after the Agreement officially entered force, meaning the earliest withdrawal via this route would be November 2019. However, withdrawing from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would trigger a departure from the accord, and this would only require one years’ notice.
Elon Musk quits as an official advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump in protest at the United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.