US withdrawing from Paris climate change deal

President Donald Trump is withdrawing the US from the Paris agreement on climate change, a UN treaty signed by almost 200 nations in 2016 and considered a major achievement by his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The decision was announced Thursday afternoon in the White House Rose Garden.

"In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the US will withdraw from the Paris climate accord," Trump said.

His administration will begin negotiations to reenter either the Paris accord or another climate treaty, "on terms that are fair" to the US, Trump added.

"As of today, the US will cease all implementation" of the Paris accord and the "draconian" burdens it mandated, he said.

Implementing the pact would have the US cost trillions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lost industrial job, with massive...