WASHINGTON: French President Emmanuel Macron has reminded his US counterpart Donald Trump of his responsibility to history over his decision to quit the Paris climate change agreement, in an interview aired on CBS.
Speaking on the eve of the One Planet Summit, two years to the day since 195 nations adopted the climate plan, Macron rejected the idea that Trump could negotiate a fresh deal and termed his withdrawal an "aggressive" maneuver.
The French president said: "I'm sorry to say that, it doesn't fly, so, so sorry but I think it is a big responsibility in front of the history, and I'm pretty sure that my friend President Trump will change his mind in the coming months or years, I do hope." He added: "It's extremely aggressive to decide on its own just to leave, and no way to push the others to renegotiate because one decided to leave the floor.
"I'm not ready to renegotiate but I'm ready to welcome him if he decides to come back." Asked about his relationship with the US president, Macron characterised it as "very direct," adding he had been frank about his opposition to Washington recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Two years on from the Paris Agreement, Macron will meet with world leaders today, this time to talk about money.
Without trillions of dollars of investment in clean energy, the pact's goal to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels will remain a pipedream, observers and participants have warned.