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Trump vows to cancel Paris Climate Agreement

May 27, 2016 15:53 IST

Noting that the US energy dominance will be declared a strategic economic and foreign policy goal, Trump said America has 1.5 times as much oil as the combined proven resources of all OPEC countries

Donald Trump has vowed to cancel the historic 'Paris Climate Agreement' and stop US donations for UN global warming programme as the Republican presidential candidate outlined his plan to accomplish "complete American energy independence" under his presidency.

"We're going to cancel the Paris Climate Agreement and stop all payments of US   tax dollars to UN global warming programmes," Trump said as he listed out his "100-day action plan" if he is sworn in as the next US president.

Noting that the US energy dominance will be declared a strategic economic and foreign policy goal, Trump said America has 1.5 times as much oil as the combined proven resources of all OPEC countries.

"We have more natural gas than Russia, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia combined; we have three times more coal than Russia. Our total untapped oil and gas reserves on federal lands equal an estimated $50 trillion," he said.

"We will become, and stay, totally independent of any need to import energy from the OPEC cartel or any nations hostile to our interests. At the same time, we will work with our Gulf allies to develop a positive energy relationship as part of our anti-terrorism strategy," Trump said.

The 69-year-old real-estate tycoon said any regulation that is "outdated, unnecessary, bad for workers, or contrary to the national interest will be scrapped."

"We will also eliminate duplication, provide regulatory certainty, and trust local officials and local residents," Trump said in his major policy speech on energy in North Dakota.

"We're going to rescind all the job-destroying Obama executive actions including the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the US rule. We're going to save the coal industry and other industries threatened by Hillary Clinton's extremist agenda," Trump said.

He said that in a Trump Administration, political activists with extreme agendas will no longer write the rules.

"Instead, we will work with conservationists whose only agenda is protecting nature. From an environmental standpoint, my priorities are very simple: clean air and clean water.

Asserting that US' incredible energy potential remains untapped, Trump said it was a totally "self-inflicted wound".

"Under my presidency, we will accomplish complete US energy independence. Imagine a world in which our foes, and oil cartels, can no longer use energy as a weapon," he said.

Trump took strong positions to reduce and eliminate all barriers to responsible energy production in order to create millions of new good-paying jobs and use energy production to rebuild infrastructure, inner cities and to reduce debt.

He outlined an "America First" agenda and slammed his potential Democratic rival Hillary Clinton who he alleged will make the special interests rich and continue to decimate the lower and middle classes.

"We will get the bureaucracy out of the way of innovation, so we can pursue all forms of energy. This includes renewable energies and the technologies of the future. It includes nuclear, wind and solar energy – but not to the exclusion of other energy," Trump said.
Lalit K Jha in Washington
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