BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (KUNA) -- European Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra on Thursday expressed regret over the United States' withdrawal from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), stressing the need to continue international cooperation on climate issues.
In a post on LinkedIn, he said that the decision by "the world's largest economy and second-largest emitter to withdraw from the agreement is regrettable and unfortunate. The UN's core climate convention forms the foundation of global climate action." He added, "We will unequivocally continue to support international climate research, as it is the basis on which we build our understanding and our actions. We will also continue working on international climate cooperation." The European official emphasized that Europe will continue to work with other countries to confront global warming despite the United States' announcement of its withdrawal from the core UN climate treaty.
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of the United State from dozens of international organizations and agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Adopted in 1992, the treaty is a global agreement among countries aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
He also withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement immediately upon returning to the presidency during his second term, as he had done previously during his first term (2017-2021). (end) arn.aai