Donald Trump has to axed climate change from the list of global threats in his new National Security Strategy.
Due to be announced on Monday, the US President has undone former President Obama’s decision to add climate change as a recognised threat to the nation. Instead, Trump will focus on economic competitiveness.
A senior administration official said: “Climate change is not identified as a national security threat but climate and the importance of the environment and environmental stewardship are discussed,”
“America’s economic security is national security,” the official said. “We will demand fair and reciprocal economic relationships around the world. The economic piece gets much more attention,” they added.
This decision comes following Emmanuel Macron’s hopes to bring Trump and the US back into the Paris Climate Agreement.
“The US did sign the Paris Agreement. It’s extremely aggressive to decide on its own just to leave, and no way to push the others to renegotiate because one decided to leave the floor. I’m sorry to say that. It doesn’t fly,” Macron told CBS last week.
A White House official confirmed on Sunday that the main difference between Trump and former Presidents was his new emphasis on border security and economic issues.
“The economic piece … gets much more attention. The insistence that economic security is national security,” said the official.
Not all of Trump’s administration is on board with Trump’s climate change views. Rex Tillerson and defence secretary, James Mattis are said to have argued against his decision to leave the Paris Agreement.
“Climate change poses strategically significant risks to U.S. national security, directly impacting our critical infrastructure and increasing the likelihood of humanitarian disasters, state failure and conflict,” wrote former officers and security officials in a letter to Tillerson.
Trump’s new National Security Strategy will be released on Monday.