G7: Trump skips talks on climate crisis and Amazon fires
US president misses key G7 meeting as summit agrees €20m
fund to fight wildfires
Angelique Chrisafis in Biarritz
@achrisafis
Mon 26 Aug 2019 14.54 BST First published on Mon 26 Aug 2019
13.13 BST
Donald Trump’s empty chair at the G7 talks on the climate
emergency
Donald Trump did not attend Monday’s crucial discussion on
climate and biodiversity at the G7 meeting of international leaders in
Biarritz, missing talks on how to deal with the Amazon rainforest fires as well
as new ways to cut carbon emissions.
Reporters noticed at the start of the session that the US
president’s chair was empty.
Trump was later asked by reporters covering a meeting with
the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, whether he had attended the climate
session. He replied: “We’re having it in a little while.” He did not appear to
hear when a reporter told him it had just taken place.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed Trump had
not personally attended the climate session but that Trump’s team had been
present.
He said he had held long and in-depth talks with Trump on
the Amazon fires and that the US president “shares our objectives” and was
“fully engaged” in the joint G7 effort to help Brazil put out the fires and
reforest.
Macron had placed the climate emergency and protection of
biodiversity at the heart of the summit, even before the Amazon rainforest
fires.
But just before the session began on Saturday, it appeared
that Trump’s entourage felt discussing climate was of little importance,
compared with the economy. Reports in the US said senior Trump aides felt
Macron was seeking to embarrass his US counterpart by making the summit focus
on “niche issues” such as climate change or gender equality.
In 2017, Trump pulled the US out of the Paris climate
accord.
Macron announced that the G7 had agreed to an immediate fund
of at least $20m (£16m) to help Amazon countries fight wildfires and launch a
long-term global initiative to protect the rainforest.
He said the Amazon was the “lungs” of the planet and leaders
were studying the possibility of similar support in Africa, also suffering from
fires in its rainforests.
All G7 countries – the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy,
Britain and Canada – would give technical and financial help to fight the
Amazon fires.
Macron had shunted the Amazon fires to the top of the summit
agenda after declaring them a global emergency, and kicked off discussions
about the disaster at a welcome dinner for fellow leaders on Saturday.
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