EU Commission Lacks 'Plan B' on Climate Deal as Trump Reviews US Position

The European Commission is not preparing a so-called plan B on the implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change despite uncertainty over the US position on the issue, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Monday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — On May 26-27, the G7 leaders gathered in a southern Italian town of Taormina and discussed a number of issues. The sides did not reach consensus on climate change issues, as the United States was "in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement," according to the G7 communique.

"The facts on this matter are clearly reflected in the G7 Taormina communique on climate, it says that within G7 the six [states] are strongly committed to the swift implementation of the Paris agreement and they reiterate that it is not just good for the climate, but it also represents opportunities for business… The seventh [state] says that it is actually 'reviewing,' which is reflected also in the communique. So, before jumping into 'plan B' let's stick to 'plan A' and let's see what this revision will point out to," Schinas told reporters while answering a question on whether EU authorities had a contingency plan in case Washington pulled the plug on the Paris deal.

The Paris climate agreement within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, championed by former US President Barack Obama, was signed in 2015. It aims to hold the increase in average global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial level by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with all the signatory states agreeing to reduce or limit their greenhouse gas emissions. Implementation of the accord by Washington is crucially important, as the United States, along with China, are the largest producers of carbon emissions in the world.

I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 27 мая 2017 г.