ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → World Problems

World leaders distance themselves from Trump’s environmental policies in unusually frank statement

Discussions were "intense" and marred by "dissent."

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
May 29, 2017
in Environment, News, World Problems
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

It basically boils down to this: Trump is the only one not willing to accept global warming as a reality, and not willing to take the necessary action to protect the planet.

Diplomacy is a game, and Trump is not really winning anything. Image credits: Blue Diamond.

Making the entire planet cringe

Diplomacy is a strange thing. There’s usually a lot of disagreement, and compromises are usually the way to go. But when it comes to sticking to the Paris Agreement, all the members of G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) wanted the same thing — all but one. Everybody wanted to take action except Trump.

Things must have gotten pretty intense because the other six countries issued a separate statement. It might not seem like much, but by diplomacy standards, this is pretty much the strongest thing you can do without going into a direct confrontation.

“The United States of America is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics,” the communique read.

“Understanding this process, the heads of state and of government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom and the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement,” it added.

The allies of the US were firm on their positions, and individually they gave even stronger statements. The newly-elected French president Emmanuel Macron more or less openly challenged Trump’s views, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was unusually vocal expressing her dissatisfaction, and even British Prime Minister Theresa May distanced herself.

“The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying,” Merkel said. “There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not.”

Each of the other G7 took turns explaining to Trump why the Paris Agreement exists and why it’s so vital to follow it, but he appeared unconvinced. Trump, who has previously said that global warming is a hoax set up by the Chinese, said he needs some time to reflect before he makes a permanent decision on the issue. It’s not clear what that means, as you’d expect a president of the US would already have a formed opinion on such important issue, but the other world leaders didn’t pressure him into taking an official stance. Still, it was evidently clear that this is not something on which anyone is willing to budge.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni made this abundantly clear in his statement:

“[We] won’t change our position on climate change one millimeter. The U.S. hasn’t decided yet. I hope they decide in the right way.”

Trump’s honeymoon period is long over, and the cold hard reality starts hitting strong. Image credits: Gage Skidmore.

Trump has vowed to protect the oil and coal industries at all cost, and this is in direct opposition to the ideals agreed upon in Paris.

RelatedPosts

Psychologist Says Hitler, Putin and Trump Share One Startling Childhood Pattern
Angela Merkel, German Chancellor: ‘We cannot wait to act until the [climate] science has convinced every last doubter’
Trump orders media blackout at the EPA, tells employees to ‘cut climate change webpage’
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Disney CEO Bob Iger resign from Trump Presidential Council after Paris Agreement withdrawal announced

The positives: at least Trump came

To say that the G7 meeting is a disaster would probably be an overstatement. But to say it went alright would be blatantly wrong. Even looking back and trying to find the positive aspects is difficult — the best thing is that at least Trump attended it, which was questionable at some point.

“There were fears: would he attend the G7?” one senior EU official said, noting that Trump’s election had called into question “the entire Western architecture, post Second World War. Now he’s here,” the official said. “He engages.”

Trump called it a “tremendously productive meeting” that concluded “a truly historic week,” but he seemed to be the only one sharing this opinion. Angela Merkel said discussions were “intense,” “difficult,” and marred by “dissent.”

“Here we have the situation that six members, or even seven if you want to add the EU, stand against one,” she said.

At most, the G7 meeting ended with a fragile and awkward truce, disrupting what used to be a generally consensual group. Now, there’s a big fault line isolating Trump (and implicitly, the US) and threatening the very existence of this group. Still, G7 members have said that the organization will continue, with or without the US.

It’s perhaps highly symbolic that everyone took a stroll, while Trump followed in a golf cart. It could be just fatigue due to his old age and the stress of the first external visit as president. But then again, it’s like a metaphor for the meeting itself: everyone talking and agreeing, with the US isolated by its own decision.

Tags: Angela Merkeldonald trumpEmmanuel MacronG7

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

News

Psychologist Says Hitler, Putin and Trump Share One Startling Childhood Pattern

byTibi Puiu
1 week ago
News

Golden Dome or Glass Ceiling? Why Physicists Say Trump’s Planetary-Scale Defense System Might Never Work

byTibi Puiu
3 weeks ago
When you add the hair, the resemblance is uncanny. Image credits: Envirobuild.
Biology

Blind creature that buries its head in the sand named after Donald Trump

byMihai Andrei
6 years ago
Credit: Pixabay.
Climate

Very few Americans are aware that 97% of climate scientists agree climate change is real

byTibi Puiu
7 years ago

Recent news

AI-Based Method Restores Priceless Renaissance Art in Under 4 Hours Rather Than Months

June 13, 2025

Meet the Dragon Prince: The Closest Known Ancestor to T-Rex

June 13, 2025

Your Breathing Is Unique and Can Be Used to ID You Like a Fingerprint

June 13, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.