US President Donald Trump's June 1 decision to opt out of the Paris climate accord was not received well by a huge majority of people, including numerous heads of state, corporate leaders, celebrities, and scientists.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Donald Trump on Thursday to express "his disappointment" with the US president's decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord.
"While the US decision is disheartening, we remain inspired by the growing momentum around the world to combat climate change and transition to clean growth economies," Trudeau said in a statement.
Trudeau vowed to continue working with US states that support climate action "to drive progress on one of the greatest challenges we face as a world".
At the same time, he said he would continue to reach out to the US federal government to identify carbon emissions reductions on which they might still be able to collaborate.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Donald Trump had made a historic error Thursday by abandoning the Paris climate agreement and invited US climate scientists and entrepreneurs to come and work in France.
Trump has "committed an error for the interests of his country and a mistake for the future of our planet", Macron said on television, adding, "The United States has turned its back on the world."
Referring to Trump's idea of redrawing the 2015 accord, he said, "we will not in any way renegotiate an agreement that is less ambitious" than the present one.
In an exceptional step, continental Europe's three biggest economies –Germany, France, and Italy –issued a joint statement in which they criticised Trump's decision and said the pact was "not renegotiable".
"We note the United States' decision with regret," they said, describing the accord as "a vital tool for our planet, our societies and our economies".
"We are firmly convinced that the agreement cannot be renegotiated," they added, referring to the part of Trump's announcement that said Washington was open to negotiating a new agreement.
In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed "regret" at the decision, and called for a continuation of "climate policies which preserve our world".
Seven Social Democratic ministers in her coalition government said the United States "is harming itself, we Europeans and all the people of the world".
Paris city hall meanwhile said it would illuminate its building in green on Thursday "in a sign of disapproval" of Trump's announcement and to recall the determination of cities around the world to fight climate change.
In Rome, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni urged against any retreat from fighting climate. "Let's not go backwards from the Paris Agreement," he said on Twitter. "Italy is committed to reducing (carbon) emissions, to renewable energy, sustainable development."
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday told President Donald Trump the Paris climate accord protects the "prosperity and security of future generations" after he announced the US was abandoning the historic deal.
"The Paris Agreement provides the right global framework for protecting the prosperity and security of future generations while keeping energy affordable and secure for our citizens and businesses," May told Trump by phone, according to a Downing Street statement.
Mexico, a country hailed as a leader in fighting global warming, called the commitments made in the Paris climate pact a "moral imperative" Thursday after its neighbour the United States withdrew from the deal.
"We will continue promoting international cooperation, without restrictions, to see the accord implemented in full," Mexico's foreign and environment ministries said in a statement.
Climate change is "an incontrovertible fact based on scientific evidence", it said. "Taking action to slow climate change is a moral imperative."
President Enrique Pena Nieto also reaffirmed his support for the deal, tweeting that "Mexico maintains its backing and commitment to the Paris accord."
China's state news agency Xinhua described US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord as a "global setback" and rejected Trump's claim that it would lead to many more jobs in America.
"Trump's decision to ditch the Paris deal will leave a fairly big shoe for a single country to fill," Xinhua said, adding that major players such as China, the European Union, and India had reiterated their willingness to step up efforts.
Noting that Trump said he had had "extensive discussions" with people on both sides of the climate debate, it said, "One can only assume that Trump has very good reasons to leave the Paris agreement and that he knows the implications of US retreat from the landmark deal."
Japan said on Friday the decision by the United States to withdraw from the Paris climate accord was "regrettable" and that climate change required a concerted effort by the whole of the international community.
"Japan believes the leadership of the developed countries to be of great importance (on climate issues), and the steady implementation of the Paris Agreement is critical in this regard," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that Japan would continue to call on the United States to engage on the issue of climate change.
Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the European Union's (EU) executive Commission, lashed Trump's decision as "seriously wrong". The body's commissioner for climate action and energy Miguel Arias Canete also pledged continued "global leadership" on climate change.
"The EU deeply regrets the unilateral decision by the Trump administration," he said in a statement.
"The Paris Agreement will endure. The world can continue to count on Europe for global leadership in the fight against climate change. […] Europe will lead through ambitious climate policies and through continued support to the poor and vulnerable," he added.
The European Commission (EC) on Thursday pledged continued "global leadership in the fight against climate change" after the US said it would withdraw from the Paris accord on curbing climate emissions.
"The Paris Agreement will endure. The world can continue to count on Europe for global leadership in the fight against climate change.... The EU deeply regrets the unilateral decision by the Trump administration," it said in a statement issued by the commissioner for climate action and energy Miguel Arias Canete.
The US decision to exit the landmark Paris climate deal is a "major disappointment," a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday, saying America needed to remain a "leader on environmental issues".
The spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, also said Guterres remained confident that US cities, states and businesses would "continue to demonstrate vision and leadership" by working for a low-carbon future.
"The decision by the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change is a major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote global security," the spokesman said in a statement.
"It is crucial that the United States remains a leader on environmental issues," Dujarric added.
"The Secretary-General looks forward to engaging with the American government and all actors in the United States and around the world to build the sustainable future on which our grandchildren depend."
US Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders also commented on the issue, terming Trump's decision an "international disgrace".
Former Vice President Joe Biden said the move "imperils US security and our ability to own the clean energy future".
Tesla founder Elon Musk on Thursday confirmed he would quit White House business panels in reaction to President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
Musk had vowed Wednesday to quit the business panels if Trump made good on a pledge to scrap the agreements.
He was joined on Thursday by other tech and industrial sector representatives who expressed frustration with the White House's decision and pledged to continue working to combat global warming.
Disney CEO Bob Iger, who was also on the Trump panel, stated he was leaving.
"Disappointed with today's decision on the Paris Agreement," Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, wrote on Twitter. "Industry must now lead and not depend on government."
Oil supermajors ExxonMobil and Chevron reiterated their support for the endangered agreement while automaker General Motors said the White House's decision would not lessen its resolve on the climate.
"GM will not waver from our commitment to the environment and our position on climate change has not changed," the company said in a statement. "International agreements aside, we remain committed to creating a better environment."
Chevron spokeswoman Melissa Ritchie said her company "supports continuing with the Paris Agreement as it offers a first step towards a global framework.
The accord aligns with the company's own policy on carbon emissions, she said.
"It's the first major international accord to address climate change that includes emissions reduction pledges from both developed and developing economies," Exxon told AFP.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein criticised the United States' decision to withdraw from the Paris climate deal in his first message on Twitter Inc since joining the platform six years ago.
"Today's decision is a setback for the environment and for the US's leadership position in the world," Blankfein said, adding the hashtag #ParisAgreement.
Goldman spokesman Michael Duvally confirmed that the account is Blankfein's.
The Information Technology Industry Council was equally scathing.
"This is clearly disappointing, and a setback for America's leadership in the world," ITI President Dean Garfield said in a statement.