Leaders gathering at the G7 Summit in Taormina, Italy agreed on a final communique. Six countries reaffirmed their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, but the United States did not join this consensus and is still reviewing its policies on climate change. Today, President Trump also tweeted that he will make a final decision on the Paris Agreement "next week."

Following is a statement by Andrew Steer, President & CEO, World Resources Institute:

“In the face of U.S. resistance, six major leaders stood together to deliver a message of determination around climate action. Only one – President Trump – stood apart. This is unfortunate for the world, but it’s even worse for the U.S.

“The G7 leaders made very clear to President Trump the diplomatic and economic costs of pulling out of the Paris Agreement and failing to act on climate change. Yet, the U.S. administration continues to drag its feet.

“Make no mistake: acting on climate change is in America’s self-interest. A growing body of evidence finds that climate action is good for a strong economy and national security. Plus, support for climate action is far reaching, with everyone from CEOs to Pope Francis calling for the U.S. to lead.

“Even so, the world has made it clear that it will forge ahead. Momentum behind a clean energy economy is strong and growing. China, India and many other countries are pushing forward to grab a share of the economic opportunity that lies in clean energy, which is estimated to unleash $4.2 trillion of cumulative investment in renewable energy by 2030.

“At the G20 in July, Germany, China and many others will undoubtedly again affirm their commitment to global climate action and the Paris Agreement. President Trump can still shift gears. The question remains if the U.S. will be a participant or continue to forgo its leadership on this issue.”

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Image Source: Flickr / Leandro Neumann Ciuffo