US sends formal communique to UN stating its withdrawal from Paris accord

Washington: The US has submitted its formal communication to the UN indicating that it will withdraw from the 2015 Paris Climate agreement as soon as possible, the US State Department has said.

The communication is in line with the decision announced by President Donald Trump recently, which was one of his key electoral promises.

In a media statement, the State Department said the US submitted a communication to the UN, in its capacity as depository for the 2015 Paris Agreement, regarding the US intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as it is eligible to do so, consistent with the terms of the agreement.

As the President indicated in his June 1 announcement and subsequently, he is open to re-engage in the Paris Agreement if the US can identify terms that are more favourable to it, its businesses, its workers, its people, and its taxpayers, the statement said.

The US supports a balanced approach to climate policy that lowers emissions while promoting economic growth and ensuring energy security, it said.

"We will continue to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through innovation and technology breakthroughs, and work with other countries to help them access and use fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently and deploy renewable and other clean energy sources, given the importance of energy access and security in many nationally determined contributions," the State Department said.

However, the US will continue to participate in international climate change negotiations and meetings, including the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP-23) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to protect US interests and ensure all future policy options remain open to the administration, it said. "Such participation will include ongoing negotiations related to guidance for implementing the Paris Agreement," it added.