Pittsburgh mayor fires back at US President Donald Trump’s reference of city

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto

The mayor of Pittsburgh has censured US President Donald Trump for his use of the city in rationalizing withdrawal from the landmark 2015 global climate agreement reached in Paris.

In his speech at the White House on Thursday announcing the decision to pull out of the pact, Trump said, “In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord… the Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States.”

“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” he added.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a Democrat, was not thrilled with his city’s reference in Trump’s remarks.  

He hit back on Twitter when the White House tweeted Trump’s Pittsburgh quote, saying that "it's now up to cities to lead" and follow the guidelines laid out in the Paris Agreement.

"As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy & future," Peduto wrote.

He also rejected Trump’s claim that people of Pittsburgh voted for the Republican in the 2016 presidential election.

"Fact: Hillary Clinton received 80% of the vote in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh stands with the world & will follow Paris Agreement,” he asserted.

US cities rebel against Trump over Paris accord

In an interview with Britain’s Telegraph newspaper on Friday, Peduto said mayors and governors across the United States were uniting to stand behind the Paris deal to fight climate change.

He said he was shocked by Trump's announcement. "I was shocked for two main reasons. Firstly, I was at Paris and was one of the 500 mayors from across the world saying the water's warm and that we're going to do this," he said.

"Secondly, it is ironic that he used Pittsburgh in his announcement. Hillary Clinton won Pittsburgh with nearly 80% of the vote,” he added.

Trump has taken a hard stance on climate change; at times calling it a hoax by China. He vowed during the election campaign to "cancel" the Paris agreement within 100 days of becoming president on January 20 in order to bolster US oil and coal giant, which bankrolled his campaign.

The Paris Climate Agreement was negotiated by representatives of 195 countries in Paris and went into effect on November 4, 2016.

A group of 82 mayors, including the mayors of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, said in joint statement they "will adopt, honor, and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement."

The document initially had 61 signatories but an updated version published on Thursday night added another 21. The 82 leaders of cities from Seattle to New York to Arkansas said they represent 39 million Americans.