United States President Donald Trump's announcement on Thursday that he is withdrawing the US from the landmark global Paris Climate Agreement failed to fluster Vladimir Putin. The Russian president joked that people can now blame the ill effects of global warming on Trump and America.
"Now we can blame it all on him and American imperialism," Putin said, laughing, while addressing reporters in St Petersburg.
Leaders all across the world, however, condemned Trump's decision to abandon the global climate accord. Putin, on the other hand, said that he would not judge Trump's decision.
The Paris agreement, which was signed in 2015, was endorsed by nearly 200 countries with a goal to limit global warming below two degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit that increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
"Don't worry, be happy!" Putin quipped on Friday when he was asked for his reaction at an economic forum in St Petersburg. He said that the Paris climate deal doesn't formally go into effect until 2021, which gives nations sufficient time to come up with a constructive solution to fight global warming.
Russia is the world's biggest crude oil producer and the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Trump's decision to withdraw from the climate deal gave plenty of reason for Putin to cheer. The accord was painstakingly brought together by former US President Barack Obama's administration and was signed by 195 countries, including India and China.
Although Putin's government signed the Paris climate accord in 2015, the Russian leader has delayed formally ratifying the agreement for at least two more years. Reports state that Russia's voluntary reduction goals of greenhouse gases under the deal are among the weakest submitted by any country.
Russia, under the Paris climate deal, has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by at least 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
Even though Russia appears evasive when it comes to cutting down its emissions, unlike Trump, the Russian leader acknowledges that climate change is being driven by man-made carbon emissions.
"Pressure on the ecosystem is increasing, and as a result of human action and as a result of natural processes, these questions require deep study, research and analysis," Putin said on Friday. "It is clear that when working out our politics, our inclusive line of action, we must be responsible and effective."
