Trump's climate pact withdrawal will isolate US, says Iran

Trump's climate pact withdrawal will isolate US, says Iran
Iran slammed President Donald Trump's decision to pull out from the historic climate deal on Sunday, suggesting the move will further isolate the US.
2 min read
04 June, 2017
The move was slammed by Iran's foreign ministry spokesman [Getty]
Iran joined the international chorus of criticism against President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement on Sunday, suggesting the move would further isolate the United States. 

"The withdrawal of the United States from the Paris accord indicates the government's lack of responsibility regarding the global community and it will increasingly isolate them," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said, according to the IRNA news agency.

"Non-compliance with commitments in the Paris accord by a government which is the second-largest producer of greenhouse gases and is one of the most polluting countries, is unacceptable," said Ghasemi.

Iran faces particular challenges from climate change, having suffered years of worsening drought and dust storms, compounded by poor water resource management.

"The global community must compel the new US administration to implement its international commitments precisely and completely," Ghasemi said.

"It is imperative to avoid undermining global agreements such as the Paris agreement, which is a global symbol of joint cooperation and has strengthened multilateralism."

On Thursday, Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, joining Syria and Nicaragua as the only non-signatories to the agreement.

The Paris Agreement was one of the most ambitious climate change accords in history and 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.

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

Trump's decision could seriously hamper efforts to cut emissions and limit global temperature increases.