Elon Musk makes push to Trump, keep US in Paris Agreement or I’m out

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted today that he has advised President Trump, directly and through White House council, that the United States should remain in the Paris Climate Agreement. This is in response to today’s tweet by Trump and wide reports that the POTUS, who campaigned against climate change calling it a “hoax”, will withdraw the US from arguably the most important agreement within the United Nations that seeks to reduce the world of greenhouse gas emissions. If the US withdraws from an agreement that nearly 200 other countries are a part of, it would join Nicaragua and Syria as the only other countries that rejects the accord.

Don’t know which way Paris will go, but I’ve done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017

Musk’s sentiment echoes cries from other industry and world leaders including Tim Cook of Apple and Pope Francis, who Trump met with last week during his first international trip as President.

When presented with the question on Twitter on what he would do if President Trump makes the final decision to abandon the Paris Agreement, Musk replied “Will have no choice but to depart councils in that case”.

Will have no choice but to depart councils in that case

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017

Musk has been an outspoken advocate of climate change action since being appointed on the President’s manufacturing advisory council earlier this year. Musk’s seat on the council has been the subject of hot debate with opponents launching campaigns calling for him to step down on the grounds that his role on the council is a show of support from Tesla for Trump.

Elon countered the allegations stating asking critics if they would rather have a Trump supporter on the council or someone that represented their values, like Musk. He cited examples of how he was the one who brought climate change into the discussion as well as the hotly debated immigration ban which was implemented in the first few months of the Trump Administration taking charge.

The increase in lobbying efforts on the part of non-governmental organizations, business leaders and world leaders have come about in response to tweets from Trump over the last few days stating that he will announce his final decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. The tweet closes with his now-famous slogan of Make America Great Again which has been his rallying cry on his overseas trip, threatening to level the playing field with the German auto industry.

I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017

Lobbying efforts are expected to continue heating until the decision is finalized this week. A coalition of US based companies banded together to run a series of ads that stated their opposition to pulling out of the Paris Accord, citing a better US economy if the country remained within the Paris Accord.

Not surprisingly, several large coal companies and a handful of mining companies came out in opposition to the deal, claiming that the action to stay in would be a violation of Trump’s campaign commitments.

Source: Bloomberg

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