Rex Tillerson: ‘Under the Right Conditions,’ US Could Stay in Paris Accord – By Melanie Arter (cnsnews.com)/ Sept 18, 2017
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that “under the right conditions, the U.S. could stay in the Paris Accord.
“I think under the right conditions,” Tillerson said when asked whether there’s a chance the U.S. could stay in the accord. “The president said he’s open to finding those conditions where we can remain engaged with others on what we all agree is still a challenging issue.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the U.S. would not withdraw from the Paris Agreement after a climate change meeting led by Canada, China, and the European Union in Montreal on Saturday, attended by 30 ministers.
“The U.S. has stated that they will not renegotiate the Paris accord, but they will try to review the terms on which they could be engaged under this agreement,” European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Canete was quoted as saying.
However, White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters issued a statement Saturday, saying, “There has been no change in the U.S.’s position on the Paris agreement.
“As the president has made abundantly clear, the U.S. is withdrawing unless we can re-enter on terms that are more favorable to our country,” she added.
As CNSNews.com previously reported, President Donald Trump announced in June that the U.S. was withdrawing from the Paris Accord, saying the current deal hamstrings the U.S. economy and amounts to redistribution of wealth. He said at the time the U.S. “will start to negotiate” and see if it can “make a deal that’s fair.”
Tillerson said Sunday that Trump said the U.S. was “willing to work with partners in the Paris climate accord if we can construct a set of terms that we believe is fair and balanced for the American people and recognizes our economy– our economy, our economic interest relative to others, in particular, the second largest economy in the world, China.”
“If you look at those targets and terms of the Paris climate accord, they were just really out of balance for the two largest economies,” Tillerson said, adding that Gary Cohn of the National Economic Council will “consider other ways in which we can work with partners in the Paris climate accord.”
“We want to be productive. We want to be helpful. The U.S. has actually had a tremendous track record on reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions,” Tillerson said.
PB/TK – Again another example of an Administration not having everyone on the same page. Tillerson says POTUS Donnie is will to work with the Paris Accords when on a fairer ground but WH Press Sec dept says “no way no how we’re out.”
