Emmanuel Macron, Paolo Gentiloni and Angela Merkel responded with a strongly worded statement to Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
The governments of Italy, Germany and France responded to Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement with a joint statement in very strong terms. Below are the words of Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"We, the heads of state and government of France, Germany and Italy, have taken note with disappointment of the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the universal agreement on climate change.
The Paris Agreement remains a cornerstone of cooperation between our countries, in order to address climate change effectively and in a timely manner and to implement the sustainable development goals contained in the 2030 Agenda."
"We believe that the step taken in Paris in December 2015 is irreversible and cannot be renegotiated, as it represents a vital instrument for our planet, our societies and our economies.
We are convinced that the implementation of the Paris Agreement offers important economic opportunities that will be able to guarantee prosperity and growth in our countries and on a global scale.
We therefore reaffirm our will to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement, including its financial objectives. And we encourage all partners to accelerate their actions to combat climate change. We will multiply our support to developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, in order to meet the mitigation and adaptation objectives."
On the evening of 1 June, Emmanuel Macron had already spoken out, in French and in English, expressing his disappointment at the White House's choice. The French president concluded his message by paraphrasing Donald Trump's famous slogan: "Make our planet great again."
