US President Donald Trump ignorant of climate science: Former US Secretary of State John Kerry

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry

US President Donald Trump is ignorant of the science behind climate change, former secretary of state John Kerry has said, in the wake of Trump’s announcement to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

“I mean, the fact is that, still, his whole staff cannot tell you whether or not he believes that climate change is a hoax,” Kerry said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday.

“And I will say to you if you truly understand the science, if you have done your due diligence and homework, there is no way that you cannot conclude that there's an urgency to doing something. And you would not pull out of Paris,” he stated.

Speaking at a ceremony in the White House on Thursday, Trump declared: "We're getting out."

"In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord," he said, adding that “the Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States.”

Trump also said that he will begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or "a new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers."

Kerry denounces Trump’s claims

US President Donald Trump announces his decision on the Paris Agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 1, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

During his NBC interview, Kerry denounced Trump’s claims that he will negotiate a better version of the Paris climate pact, comparing the president’s promise to get a better deal to the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

“When Donald Trump says to the world, ‘Well, we're going to negotiate a better deal,’ I mean, you know, he's going to go out and find a better deal?” Kerry told host. “I mean, that's like O.J. Simpson saying he's going to go out and find the real killer. Everybody knows he isn't going to do that because he doesn't believe in it. Because if he did believe in it, you wouldn't pull out of Paris.”

“America has unilaterally ceded global leadership on this issue, which, for years, even Republican presidents, George H.W. Bush, you know, pushed in this direction,” 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.

187 mayors adopt Paris climate accord

A group of 187 mayors, who represent more than 52 million Americans and some of the largest American cities, said in joint statement they "will adopt, honor, and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement."

“We will continue to lead. We are increasing investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. We will buy and create more demand for electric cars and trucks. We will increase our efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, create a clean energy economy, and stand for environmental justice,” it stated.

“And if the President wants to break the promises made to our allies enshrined in the historic Paris Agreement, we’ll build and strengthen relationships around the world to protect the planet from devastating climate risks,” the statement noted.