World pledges to save 'Mother Earth' despite Trump's snub to climate pact

By Thomas Escritt and Philip Blenkinsop 

China and Europe pledged to unite to save what German Chancellor Angela Merkel called "our Mother Earth”.

They are standing firmly against President Donald Trump's decision to take the United States out of the Paris climate change pact.

Trump's move was "a big mistake", Donald Tusk – one of the European Union's top officials – said.

Other countries, including India, signalled their commitment to the accord, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said that while the United States should have remained in the 2015 deal, he would not judge Trump, and warned about the accord's impact on jobs and poverty.

Tapping into the "America First" message he used on the election trail, Trump announced the withdrawal on Thursday, saying that participating in the pact would undermine the US economy, wipe out US jobs, weaken national sovereignty and put his country at a permanent disadvantage to others.

US Vice President Mike Pence said on television earlier today that the Paris deal "put an extraordinary burden on the American.

"It was a transfer of wealth from the most powerful economy in the world to other countries around the planet," he said.

There was a mix of dismay and anger across the world.

France said it would work with US states and cities – some of which, notably California, have broken with Trump's decision – to keep up the fight against climate change.

Rising temperatures

A number of business and industry figures criticised Trump's decision, while others focussed on what it might mean to their trade.

Germany's powerful car industry said Europe would need to reassess its environmental standards to remain competitive after the "regrettable" US decision.

The World Meteorological Organization estimated that US withdrawal from the emissions-cutting accord could add 0.3 degrees Celsius to global temperatures by the end of the century in a worst-case scenario.

Germany's Merkel, a pastor's daughter who is usually intensely private about her faith, said the accord was needed "to preserve our Creation".

"To everyone for whom the future of our planet is important, I say let's continue going down this path so we're successful for our Mother Earth," she said to applause from lawmakers.

In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron turned Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan on its head, saying in a rare English-language statement that it was time to "make the planet great again".

China and Europe together

A long-scheduled meeting on Friday between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and top European Union officials in Brussels was dominated by Trump's decision.

The Chinese and EU leaders pledged full implementation of the Paris deal, committing to cut back on fossil fuels, developing more green technology and raising funds to help poorer countries reduce their emissions.

China, now the world's largest polluter, has emerged as Europe's unlikely partner in this and other areas -- underlining Trump's isolation on many issues.

China said it was a responsible country that had been working hard on tackling climate change.

"Today we are stepping up our cooperation on climate change with China... We are convinced that yesterday's decision by the United States to leave the Paris Agreement is a big mistake," European Council President Donald Tusk said.