Turnbull Confirms Commitment to Paris Climate Pact, Backbenchers Argue for Exit
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed Australia’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on Thursday ahead of President Donald Trump announcing his plan to withdraw the US from the climate change pact.
“I repeat today what I said on 16 November when the treaty was ratified,” Turnbull said in the House Representatives on June 1. “When Australia makes a commitment to a global agreement, we follow through—and that is exactly what we are doing. We are committed to the Paris Agreement, and we are on track to meet our targets.”
Five MPs from Turnbull’s coalition told Fairfax Media the government should withdraw from the Paris Agreement. A number of crossbenchers, including members of the One Nation Party, echoed their sentiments.
The Labor Party urged the Prime Minister to lobby the United States to reconsider their exit from the pact to lower global carbon emissions.
This video shows the the Prime Minister talking about his support for the Paris Agreement. Half a day later in Washington, President Trump officially announced the US would withdraw from the 2015 pact which had been signed by all but two of the world’s 189 countries.
