BEIJING: California Governor Jerry Brown predicts that President Donald Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord will prove temporary because of the urgency of the issue.
Brown told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a clean energy conference in Beijing on Tuesday that China, Europe and U.S. state governors will for now fill the gap left by the federal government's move to abdicate leadership on the issue.
Brown said science, facts and international pressure will eventually bring the United States back into the fold in cooperative efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Brown also signed agreements with China's central government and two provinces to collaborate on countering climate change.
Trump's decision to leave the accord has drawn heavy criticism within the U.S. and internationally.