UN calls climate action 'unstoppable' as Trump threatens to withdraw from Paris Agreement

The President is anticipated to withdraw from the agreement sometime this week

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General (Getty Images)

The United Nations has made clear that climate action “is unstoppable”, as Donald Trump weighs whether the US should remain in the Paris climate deal.

According to White House sources cited by the press, the President is expected to withdraw from the agreement sometime this week, but Mr Trump did not confirm this during a spray in the Oval Office with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

When asked by a reporter if he was leaning toward exiting the accord, Mr Trump responded, “You’re going to find out very soon”.

Despite reports that the US is poised to withdraw from the deal, other countries, including India and China, have reaffirmed their commitment to combating global warming.

In a morning tweet, the UN wrote that “Climate change is undeniable. Climate action is unstoppable. Climate solutions provide opportunities that unmatchable.”

The tweet linked to a video of UN Secretary-General António Guterres calling on world leaders, including those in business and civil society, to take ambitious action on climate change.

“It is absolutely essential that the world implements the Paris agreement,” Mr Guterres said, adding that he would use the convening power of the UN to work with governments and all major actors to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.

In a speech on Tuesday at an event in New York, Mr Guterres said, “It’s very clear that governments are not everything.”

“On the other hand, we are doing our best, in dialogue with the administration and with Congress, to make the US understand that funding the development aid, funding foreign policy in general, funding organisations like the UN, is also in the interest of the American people.“

A US withdrawal from the Paris accord would be a huge blow to the deal that aims to reduce carbon emissions and avert the worst effects of climate change.

The US is currently one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. Scientists say that Earth is likely to to be affected by more dangerous levels of warming even sooner if the US pulls back from its pledge to cut carbon dioxide pollution.

When reporters asked Mr Trump if he has been hearing from company chief executives and others trying to persuade him on the climate agreement, the President said, “I’m hearing from a lot of people, both ways. Both ways.”