Trump, Macron fail to break deadlock on Paris climate deal

A Thursday meeting between President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron did not yield a breakthrough on the Paris climate deal, the leaders said Thursday.

“Something could happen with respect to the Paris accord. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said during a joint news conference with Macron in Paris on Thursday. Trump announced last month he would pull the U.S. out of the international climate change agreement.

“But we’ll talk about that in the coming period of time. If it happens, that will be wonderful. If it doesn’t that’s ok, too.”

{mosads}Macron has been one of the most vocal supporters of the Paris deal and a loud critic of Trump’s decision to pull out of the deal. He said “there is nothing new and unprecedented” in Trump’s position on the deal following their Thursday meeting.

“I very much respect the decision taken by President Trump,” he said. “He will work on implementing his campaign promises, and as far as I’m concerned I remained attached to the Paris accord and will make sure that, step by step, we can do everything that’s in the accord.”

Trump has called the Paris deal “very unfair” to the United States because of its greenhouse gas emissions goals and financial provisions, both of which were negotiated by the Obama administration. He has vowed to renegotiate the deal, but international leaders have said that will not happen.

“The U.S. is committed to being a leader on environmental protection while we advance energy security and economic growth,” Trump said Thursday.

Macron said he would “leave the United States to work on its road map” when it comes to energy and environment policies. But he said the stark disagreement on climate change wouldn’t affect work between the U.S. and France on issues like terrorism and the Middle East.

“Here we know what our disagreements are — we have expressed them on a number of occasions — but I think it is important that we can continue to talk about it,” Macron said of the Paris deal.

“Should it have an impact on discussions we’re having on all the other topics? Absolutely not.”