After US President Donald Trump pulled of the historic Paris Agreement, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg took to twitter to express his commitment to the accord that aims to combat climate change across the globe.
US cities, states and businesses can fulfil commitments made by the United States under the Paris climate change agreement even though the US has withdrawn from the pact, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said in Paris.
Bloomberg met French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Friday and said that Americans didn't need Washington to meet the commitments of the climate deal.
Bloomberg, who is the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for Cities and Climate Change, said the United States has led the world on emission reductions over the past decade. Those efforts had been led by citizens and cities, he added, not the federal government, aided by market forces that have made solar and wind energy cheaper than coal.
"I want the world to know that the US will meet its Paris commitments and that through partnerships among cities, states and businesses we will seek to remain part of the Paris agreement process," Bloomberg said.
He said he would notify the UN Secretary General and the climate change secretariat that US cities, states, businesses and others will aim to meet the United States' commitment to reducing emissions 26 % below the 2005 levels by 2025. "We are already halfway there and we can accelerate our process further even without any support from Washington," Bloomberg said. He said his own foundation will help coordinate the US effort, which will be called America's Pledge, and it will help submit "nationally determined contributions" like other nations.
The foundation will provide the US $15 million commitment the UN climate change secretariat will lose from Washington to ensure there is no disruption in their work, he said. It will also help fulfil the Paris agreement reporting requirements so that the world can track the United States' progress.
Macron, in a joint news conference with Bloomberg and Hidalgo, said the Paris climate pact is irreversible despite US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from it. "The Paris agreement is irreversible and will be implemented because it is our responsibility," he said. He added that China, Russia and India had confirmed their commitment to it.
"Yesterday, the government of a great nation renounced its climate obligations, but a nation is not only its government," Macron said. "Other actors -- political and economical and civil -- have stood up, and thousands of promising initiatives are being taken. We will support them and fight on their side."
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 "French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (R) greet former mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg (C)")
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