Donald Trump skips G7 climate talks
The US president missed a key meeting on the climate crisis aimed at finding wayhs to deal with the Amazon fire and carbon emissions at the G7 in Biarritz on Monday.
Trump was later asked by reporters covering a meeting with Germany’s Angela Merkel whether he had attended the climate session. He replied: “We’re having it in a little while.”
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed that Trump had not personally attended the climate session but that US officials had been present at the meeting. He said Trump had been busy holding bilateral meetings.
Macron said “Trump shares our objectives and is fully engaged” in the joint G7 effort to help Brazil put out the fires and reforest.
Macron also announced that the G7 had agreed to an immediate fund of at least $20m to help Amazon countries fight wildfires and launch a programme to protect the rainforest.
Trump’s officials said over the weekend that discussing climate was of little importance compared to the economy and said Macron was trying to embarrass the US President by focusing on “niche issues” such as climate change and gender equality.