BRUSSELS — China’s top environment official delivered a firm message Monday: the worldwide effort to combat climate change will not be derailed simply because some countries choose to step away.
“The multilateral process will not stop or even slow down because of the absence of individual countries,” said Chinese environment minister Huang Runqiu, addressing a gathering of nations convened to discuss climate action.
The meeting, held in Brussels, was jointly organized by China, the European Union, and Canada. Representatives from Japan, Australia, and South Africa were among those who also attended.
The remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement in January — the international treaty widely considered the cornerstone of global climate policy. The U.S. is the world’s largest economy.
This marks the second time the U.S. has exited the Paris accord. Trump also withdrew during his first term in office back in 2017. Notably, no other nation has followed the United States in leaving the treaty.
