美国有线新闻 CNN 特朗普宣布退出巴黎气候协定（在线收听）

We're starting with news about the Paris climate accord. Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that America would be withdrawing from the international agreement. But, first, what is it?

The Paris accord was named for the French capital where the deal was made in 2015. It was a major priority of President Barack Obama who led the U.S. at that time. One hundred ninety-five out of 197 countries signed on to the agreement. In doing so, they promised to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The nations themselves got to decide by how much they'd actually do that, and the accord was not legally binding. There's no penalty for a country that doesn't meet its pledge.

Current President Trump was not required to keep the U.S. in the deal and he said staying would have cost millions of American jobs.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As president, I can put no other consideration before the wellbeing of American citizens. The Paris climate accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States.

AZUZ: President Trump added that the U.S. would start negotiations for a new deal that was more fair to Americans.

Critics like former President Obama said President Trump rejected the future by leaving the agreement. And the leaders of several other countries said they'd stick to the Paris accord and said it was harmful for the U.S. to leave. Most climate scientists say it's extremely likely that greenhouse gas emissions, which are generated by human activity contribute to global warming. But some critics say the claims surrounding these emissions are over-exaggerated and that climate modeling is not an exact science.

The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris accord won't happen immediately. It could take months or years to complete the process.