US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday, June 2, the United States is not going to change “ongoing efforts to reduce [greenhouse gas] emissions in the future,” despite withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord.
After welcoming Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira to the US State Department on June 2, Tillerson answered a question about the agreement among 195 countries, saying the U.S. has a “terrific record” on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will continue that record even in the “absence of a Paris agreement,” and that “hopefully, people can keep it in perspective.”
The Trump administration heard criticism from a number of quarters on the US withdrawal, with energy adviser and Tesla founder Elon Musk immediately resigning his role and many corporations saying they would continue despite the move. Tillerson, a former oil and gas executive, was said to favor remaining in the agreement.
