State Department officially begins U.S. exit from Paris climate deal

The State Department on Friday officially started the process of extracting the United States from the Paris Agreement. President Trump announced his intent to withdraw from the international emissions reduction deal in June, condemning the pact's "draconian financial and economic burdens," but no official notice was delivered to the United Nations until this week.

"The United States supports a balanced approach to climate policy that lowers emissions while promoting economic growth and ensuring energy security," says the statement from State, which also indicates the U.S. will continue to participate in major climate negotiations "to protect U.S. interests and ensure all future policy options remain open to the administration."

French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to persuade Trump to reconsider his stance on the Paris accord during Trump's visit to France last month, but his hopes were apparently unjustified.

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