Dutch minister plans environment conference in the US

DutchNews, March 29, 2017

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Dutch environment minister Sharon Dijksma is involved in organising a climate conference in the US this summer, she told Radio 1 on Wednesday. 

The aim of the conference, tagged Climate First, is not to taunt US president Trump but  to make sure the development of sustainable growth remains on the agenda, Dijksma said. 

The idea for the conference was discussed within the cabinet last month and shared with other EU member states and officials in California, Dijksma is quoted as saying. 

On Tuesday, US president Donald Trump cancelled a number of measures aimed at reducing climate change and CO2 emissions. 

Dijksma described Trump’s actions as ‘an unmistakable knockback’. The US is second only to China in terms of pollution and should be showing greater responsibility, the minister said. 

Nevertheless, ‘very many’ US states want to develop their own energy plans and both New York and California want to stick to the Paris agreements on reducing emissions, she said. 

Dijksma said these states are willing to work together with new partners, including Europe, which is why she wants to organize a new climate change conference across the Atlantic.