Trump likely to pull US out of Paris deal: What are the repercussions?

President Donald Trump will follow through on a campaign pledge to pull the US out of a global pact to fight climate change, a source briefed on the decision told Reuters, a move that should rally his support base at home while deepening a rift with US allies. Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, did not confirm the decision in a post on Twitter, saying only, "I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days."  

Trump had refused to endorse the landmark climate change accord at a summit of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Saturday, saying he needed more time to decide. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk vowed to leave Trump’s business councils if the president pulls the US out of the accord.

 Europe must make clear to the US that quitting the Paris climate agreement is not a straightforward process, and that fully leaving the deal will take years, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday. "Europe's duty is to say: It's not like that."

The accord, agreed on by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015, aims to limit planetary warming in part by slashing carbon dioxide and other emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Under the pact, the United States committed to reducing its emissions by 26 to 28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2025. Axios news outlet, which first reported the withdrawal, said details of the pull-out are being worked out by a team that includes EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. 

The choice is between a formal withdrawal that could take three years or leaving the UN treaty that the accord is based on, which would be quicker but more extreme, according to the Axios report.

The decision to withdraw from the climate accord was influenced by a letter from 22 Republican US senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling for an exit, Axios reported. 

Former President Barack Obama, who helped broker the accord, praised the deal during a trip to Europe this month. 

The United States is the world's second-biggest carbon dioxide emitter behind China. 

Supporters of the climate pact are concerned that a US exit could lead other nations to weaken their commitments or also withdraw, softening an accord that scientists have said is critical to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. 

Canada, the European Union, and China have said they will honour their commitments to the pact even if the United States withdraws. A source told Reuters that India had also indicated it would stick by the deal.