German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that Europe was "more determined than ever" to fight climate change after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris agreement.

Speaking to the German parliament a week before hosting a G20 summit, Merkel called global warming an "existential challenge" for humanity and stressed that the 2015 Paris deal was "not negotiable".

She vowed to stand her ground with Trump, saying that "the differences are obvious and it would be dishonest to try to cover that up. That I won't do."

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.

Speaking before she hosts several European leaders in Berlin on Thursday, Merkel said "the European Union unconditionally stands by its agreement in Paris and will implement it speedily and with determination".

"More than that: Since the decision of the United States to leave the Paris climate agreement, we are more determined than ever to make it a success."

She said the world needed to reach the international climate targets "because climate change spells one of the gravest challenges for humanity, an existential challenge for all of us on Earth".

"We cannot and will not wait until the last person on Earth can be convinced about the scientific knowledge on climate change," added Merkel, who holds a doctorate in physical chemistry.

"In a word: the Paris agreement is irreversible and not negotiable."

Trump, who on the campaign trail labelled climate change a Chinese hoax, on June 1 announced America's shock withdrawal from the Paris accord, which he labelled a "bad" deal.

The United States is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China.

The Paris signatories 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.

Tweet

US mayors bypass Trump to back Paris climate goals
Brussels (AFP) June 27, 2017
President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord has triggered a bipartisan push from US mayors to stick to the emissions cuts Washington had pledged to hit, the mayor of Atlanta said Tuesday. Mayor Kasim Reed said he was sending a signal of "optimism, passion and action" on fighting climate change to mayors worldwide despite the pullout Trump announced this month. ... read more

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only