Kerry says USA climate goals in reach despite Trump Paris pullout

Pruitt, who as EPA chief successfully campaigned for the U.S.to quit the Paris climate agreement, was to leave Bologna, Italy, Sunday for a meeting with President Donald Trump, said a spokesman for the G-7 talks, Davide Russo.

California is a member of the 'Under 2 Coalition, ' a group of 175 states and cities that aim to help keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, a threshold scientists say is necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti voiced his hope a future dialogue with the USA could still develop in the near future. Alongside Syria and Nicaragua, the U.S.is now the only nation not participating in the accord.

Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom signed the communiqué. He said the other G-7 countries hoped to continue "constructive dialogue" with the US, but insisted on the Paris parameters. But other world leaders say that would be impossible.

French minister Nicolas Hulot said USA allies were determined not to let Trump's controversial climate stance "poison" cooperation on other ecological issues, and said the world could work around the U.S. position, even though it is a damaging one.

The United States refused Monday to sign onto a Group of Seven pledge that calls the Paris climate accord the "irreversible" global tool to address climate change.

Greenpeace's Jennifer Morgan, said: "Paris is non-negotiable and the leadership shown by the G6 countries, along with the cities, states and businesses in the U.S. in moving the agreement forward swiftly is fundamental".

Expectations for the G-7 talks were already low, given Trump's decision June 1 to withdraw from the Paris agreement that was signed in 2015 by nearly 200 nations.

The president's decision to pull the United States out of the world's first comprehensive agreement on tackling climate change and seek renegotiated terms "fair" to America drew widespread global condemnation earlier this month.

The world's largest economies are divided over how to tackle global warming following the withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate accord this month.

A spokesman for Ms Hendricks said Germany would be looking for "something more concrete" from Mr Pruitt in terms of what the U.S. was going to do. Engagement is essential to protecting and using our natural resources.

While this shows that the U.S.is not interested in leading the fight against climate change, it also allows other countries to take over the country's leadership role in this effort.

He said the other G7 countries hoped to continue constructive dialogue with the U.S. but insisted on the Paris parameters.

In the meantime, Trump's decision could embolden other nations, especially fossil-fuel-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to put obstacles in the way of reducing emissions and pick apart the historic Paris Agreement.

The Paris Accord is an worldwide pact to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.