President Donald Trump onWednesday affirmed plans to pull the United States out of the Paris climateagreement, less than two weeks before his administration can formally start theprocess.
At an energy conference inPittsburgh, Trump touted surging U.S. natural gas and crude oil output, hisefforts to roll back regulations on energy industries, and his administration'sintention to pull the United States from the 2015 international climateagreement.
"The Paris accordwould have been shutting down American producers with excessive regulatoryrestrictions like you would not believe, while allowing foreign producers to pollutewith impunity," said Trump, who shared the stage with dozens of workerswearing hard hats.
"What we won't do ispunish the American people while enriching foreign polluters," he said,adding: "I'm proud to say it, it's called America First."
Opponents of leaving theagreement say it harms U.S. global leadership on the transition to a cleanereconomy with technologies to boost wind and solar power, advanced batteries andenergy conservation.
"Instead of projectingstrength, this action weakens America on the world stage and cedes leadershipon climate change and other challenges of our time to countries like Russia andChina," said Neera Tanden, president and chief executive of the Center forAmerican Progress, a liberal think tank.
Trump often boasts he hasalready pulled the country out of the pact. But the first day he can officiallystart the process has not yet arrived.
