'G19' pledge to stick to Paris climate agreement

19 members acknowledge Trump's decision to pull out of Paris climate accord

German Chancellor Angela Merkel closed the G20 summit in Hamburg with a rebuke to US President Donald Trump's stance on climate change, but appeared to make a concession on his protectionist trade policies.

Merkel said she deplored the US' decision to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement and said that all other 19 nations in the G20 remained committed to it.
The communiqe from the group of 19 countries and the European Union noted the US' withdrawal from the accord but said the country affirmed its "strong commitment to an approach that lowers emissions while supporting economic growth and improving energy security needs."

Merkel appeared to come down hard on Trump's protectionist trade policies, saying she was glad that leaders agreed that "markets need to be kept open." Trump, meanwhile, said his controversial state visit to Britain will go ahead, adding that he was hoping for a "very powerful" trade deal with London "very, very quickly".

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