AKIPRESS.COM - President Donald Trump has announced that the US is withdrawing from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, BBC reported.

He said moves to negotiate a new "fair" deal that would not disadvantage US businesses and workers would begin.

Mr Trump said during last year's presidential election campaign that he would take the step to help his country's oil and coal industries.

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Mr Trump characterised the Paris agreement as a deal that aimed to hobble, disadvantage and impoverish the US.

He claimed the agreement would cost the US $3tn in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs - while rival economies like China and India were treated more favourably.

"In order to fulfil my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord... but begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or a really entirely new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States," he said.

The speech contained several rhetorical flourishes reminiscent of his campaign speeches.

"We don't want other leaders and other countries laughing at us any more - and they won't be," he said.

"I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris. I promised I would exit or re-negotiate any deal which fails to serve America's interests. Many trade deals will soon be under re-negotiation."

Opponents say withdrawing from the accord is an abdication of US leadership on a key global challenge.

The Paris agreement commits the US and 187 other countries to keeping rising global temperatures "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C. Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign up to the deal.

Mr Trump did not give a timescale for US withdrawal, but White House sources had earlier suggested it could take up to four years.