Posted June 01, 2017 00:03:09

Photo: Donald Trump made a campaign pledge to "cancel" the Paris deal. (AP: Evan Vucci)

Donald Trump has said he will make his decision on the Paris climate accord soon, after US media reported the President was set to withdraw the US from the global pact.

"I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Mr Trump tweeted.

The tweet came after news reports quoted sources saying Mr Trump had decided to follow through on his campaign pledge to withdraw the US from the deal.

But a White House official told AP there may be "caveats in the language" that Mr Trump uses to announce the pull-out — leaving open the possibility that the decision is not final.

Mr Trump had refused to endorse the landmark climate change accord at a summit of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Saturday, saying he needed more time to decide.

A decision to withdraw would put the US in league with Syria and Nicaragua as the world's only non-participants in the Paris Climate Agreement.

It could have sweeping implications for the deal, which relies heavily on the commitment of big polluter countries to reduce emissions of gases scientists blame for sea level rise, droughts and more frequent violent storms.

The accord, agreed on by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015, aims to limit planetary warming in part by slashing carbon dioxide and other emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.

Under the pact, the US committed to reducing its emissions by 26 to 28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2025.

Axios news outlet, which first reported that Mr Trump would withdraw, said details of the move were being worked out by a team that includes EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

The choice is between a formal withdrawal that could take three years or leaving the UN treaty that the accord is based on, which would be quicker but more extreme, according to the Axios report.

Senators influence Trump decision

The decision to withdraw from the climate accord was influenced by a letter from 22 Republican US senators, including majority leader Mitch McConnell, calling for an exit, Axios reported.

What did countries say they would do under the terms of the Paris climate accord and how will it be funded?

Former president Barack Obama, who helped broker the accord, praised the deal during a trip to Europe this month.

The US is the world's second-biggest carbon dioxide emitter behind China.

Supporters of the climate pact are concerned that a US exit could lead other nations to weaken their commitments or also withdraw, softening an accord that scientists have said is critical to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.

Canada, the European Union, and China have said they will honour their commitments to the pact even if the US withdraws.

A source told Reuters that India had also indicated it would stick by the deal.

Mr Trump had vowed during his campaign to "cancel" the Paris deal within 100 days of becoming president, as part of an effort to bolster US oil and coal industries.

That promise helped rally supporters sharing his scepticism of global efforts to police US carbon emissions.

After taking office, however, Mr Trump faced pressure to stay in the deal from investors, international powers and business leaders, including some in the coal industry.

He also had to navigate a split among his advisers on the issue.

Reuters/AP

Topics: world-politics, donald-trump, climate-change, environment, environmental-policy, united-states