Billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg has pledged to commit up to $15m to support United Nations operations that help countries implement their commitments under the Paris Accord.
The move came as high-profile business leaders across the globe expressed disappointment over Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the landmark 2015 climate agreement.
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk and Disney chief executive Bob Iger both quit the president’s economic advisory committee in protest, while Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein couched his criticism in his first ever Twitter post.
Bloomberg, a former major of New York and current UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, said he will work with other governments and philanthropic groups interested in financially supporting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The donation, by himself and potentially others, is intended to fill around $15m of funding that the UN stands stand to lose from Washington.
“Americans are not walking away from the Paris Climate Agreement,” Bloomberg said. “Just the opposite – we are forging ahead.”
Bloomberg also claimed that mayors, governors, and business leaders from both U.S. political parties are signing a statement of support for the Accord’s emissions reduction goals that will be submitted to the UN.
“Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris Agreement by leading from the bottom up – and there isn’t anything Washington can do to stop us,” Bloomberg said.
Image: Twitter
