European Union says ready for climate leadership if US pulls out of Paris deal

A withdrawal by the United States from the Paris climate deal would be disappointing but the European Union stood ready to take global leadership on this issue, the European Commission said on Wednesday. United States president Donald Trump is expected to make an announcement on whether he will stay in the agreement this week, with media reports on Wednesday suggesting he had made up his mind to withdraw. [caption id=“attachment_3078638” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “If they decide to pull out it would be disappointing but I really do not think this would change the course of mankind,” said European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic. “There is a much stronger expectation from our partners across the world from Africa, Asia and China that Europe should assume leadership in this effort and we are ready to do that,” Sefcovic added. Earlier on Wednesday, an Axios report suggested that Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, citing two unidentified sources with direct knowledge of the decision. Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, refused to endorse the landmark climate change accord at a summit of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Saturday, saying he needed more time to decide. He then tweeted that he would make an announcement this week. Fox News also cited an unidentified source confirming the pullout.