After more than six months of speculation, US president Donald Trump will today announce his decision on whether the US will leave the Paris climate agreement – a long standing campaign promise.
The address starts at 3pm ET/8pm BST. You can watch it below. Our team of Megan Darby and Zack Colman are in the US and will bring you quick analysis and reaction.
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Trump has been heavily tipped to take the US out of the Paris accord. But the ways in which that could happen are many. The mercurial president could also flip his decision and stay within the accord.
Either way, the US has already left the fold of nations who are trying to solve this problem. Striking out alone, lead by a man who either doesn’t believe in or doesn’t care about the impacts of climate change on the global future.
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1409 ET – Invite list a give away
The list of invitees to the Rose Garden announcement should give you an indication of the way this is going to go.
Politico reports that the list includes Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, will be there with staff. Competitive Enterprise Institute director Myron Ebell, who worked on Trump’s transition team on energy policy and is a long time enemy of the UN climate process will attend. See Climate Home’s interview with him in Paris. The Heritage Foundation founder Ed Feulner and other top dogs.
All three of these organisations has campaigned hard against Paris. Trump would be unlikely to invite them for anything but total victory.
1417 ET – Congress informed of withdrawal – CNN
CNN’s senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta hears Congress has been informed. We’ll try to confirm this, but all will be revealed very soon.
Hill source: WH has informed members of Congress that President Trump will pull out of Paris climate agreement.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 1, 2017
