White House denies report that U.S. will stay in Paris climate agreement
The White House on Saturday denied that there is any change to the Trump administration's position on the Paris climate agreement, after the Wall Street Journal, citing a European Union official, reported the U.S. will not back out of the deal.
"There has been no change in the United States' position on the Paris agreement," White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement. "As the president has made abundantly clear, the United States is withdrawing unless we can re-enter on terms that are more favorable to our country."
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated that sentiment.
Our position on the Paris agreement has not changed. @POTUS has been clear, US withdrawing unless we get pro-America terms.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 16, 2017
The Journal quoted European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete as saying top Trump officials stated that the U.S. will not renegotiate the Paris accord, and will review the terms of how the U.S. can engage in the existing agreement.
Mr. Trump announced his decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement to much fanfare in June, fulfilling one of his campaign promises.
"In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord," Mr. Trump said.
He said the U.S. would "begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or really a entirely new transaction" on terms that he said are fair to U.S. businesses, workers and taxpayers.
"So we're getting out, but we will start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. And if we can, that's great, and if we can't, that's fine," Mr. Trump said in June.
In August, the U.S. sent a notice to the United Nations Secretary-General stating its intention to withdraw.
The confusion comes before Mr. Trump's appearance at his first U.N. General Assembly next week in New York, where top Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn is set to host a a meeting on energy and climate change. Mr. Trump will be speaking to leaders of the nearly 200 nations that are a part of the agreement.
The deadline for any country to withdraw from the agreement is Nov. 4, 2019, CBS News' Pamela Falk reports.