French President Macron announces climate summit to build on gains of Paris accord

Supporters of action to stop climate change have thanked the French president, after he declared he plans to host a climate change summit, two years after the landmark Paris accord.

French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump Source: AAP

France's President Emmanuel Macron has announced a summit on climate change for December 12, two years after the landmark Paris accord.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he had not given up on trying to get US counterpart Donald Trump to change his mind about withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate change agreement.

The final statement from the Group of 20 leaders meeting in Hamburg on Saturday exposed the divide that remains between the United States and other G20 members on the 2015 Paris accord aimed at combating climate change.

But Macron also said he would host a summit on December 12 to move the Paris deal forward.

"On December 12... I will organise a new summit in order to take new action for the climate, including on the issue of financing," he said after the G20 summit in Hamburg.

He posted similar remarks on Twitter.
He said that the summit would aim to mobilize private and public financing for the projects committed to under the Paris agreement.

Social media users greeted the announcement with enthusiasm, with many tweeting their thanks directly to the French president.
Asked if he was trying to persuade Trump to change his mind on the climate deal, Macro said: "I never despair to convince, because I think it is a duty, given my position, and it is a trait of my character".

Macron and Trump met during the G20 summit in Hamburg and Trump will travel to France for the Bastille Day military parade on July 14.

Trump wins key climate, trade concessions at stormy G20

In a final statement agreed by all 20 economies, 19 members including Russia, China and the European Union acknowledged Trump's decision to go his own way on taking the US out of the 2015 Paris climate accord.

But they also accommodated Washington's wish to "work closely with other countries to help them access and use fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently".

While renewing a key anti-protectionist pledge, the communique for the first time underlined the right of countries to protect their markets with "legitimate trade defence instruments".
Such wording gives room for Trump to push on with his "America First" policy.

Carried on a wave of public fury over deindustrialisation in vast areas of the United States, Trump had promised to "Buy American" and "Hire American".

But that stance had set him against many of America's allies, who warned Trump against an isolationist path.

Nevertheless, the wording of the final agreement marked the group of top economies' decision to finally close ranks despite bitter differences.


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3 min read
Published 9 July 2017 4:17pm
Updated 9 July 2017 4:35pm
Source: AFP, Reuters

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