China, EU rally for climate action as Trump backs away
March 29, 2017
US president’s move to end ‘war on coal’ sparks criticism from major economies committed to cutting carbon emissions.
Trump’s main target is Obama’s Clean Power Plan [Carlos Barria/Reuters]
China and European Union nations have reaffirmed their commitment to a global plan to slow climate change after US President Donald Trump began undoing Obama-era plans for deep cuts in US greenhouse gas emissions.
Trump’s order on Tuesday, in line with a campaign promise to bolster the US coal industry, strikes at the heart of the international Paris Agreement in 2015 to curb world temperatures that hit record highs in 2016 for the third year in a row.
Many nations reacted to Trump’s plan with dismay and defiance, saying a vast investment shift from fossil fuels to clean energy such as wind and solar power is under way with benefits ranging from less air pollution to more jobs.
