Trump expected to withdraw from global climate agreement

American president resisting pressure from European leaders to stay in

Donald Trump is expected to withdraw the US from a landmark global climate agreement, a White House official has said, although aides are looking for “caveats in the language” related to the exit and the decision is not yet final.

Abandoning the Paris deal would fulfil a central campaign pledge for the president, but would anger international allies who spent years in difficult negotiations that produced an accord to reduce carbon emissions.

Mr Trump faced pressure to hold to the deal during meetings with European leaders and Pope Francis on his recent trip abroad.

The official said the president and his staff were finalising the details of a pullout.

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

While he favours an exit, he has been known to change his thinking on major decisions and tends to seek counsel from a range of inside and outside advisers, many with differing agendas, until the last minute.

His senior aides have been divided on the accord.

Mr Trump is meeting secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who has favoured remaining in the deal, while chief strategist Steve Bannon supports an exit, and senior adviser Jared Kushner generally thinks the deal is bad, but would like to find a way to see if the US emissions targets can be changed.

I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. DONALD TRUMP

Picture: AP. Abandoning the deal would fulfil a central campaign pledge for the president.