Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Israel remains committed to the Paris climate pact after the United States decided to officially abandon it this week.
Israel, the United States and 200 other nations signed the 2015 Paris climate accord with a vow to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Each country provided goals to reduce greenhouse gases. But the Trump administration has said for years that it will leave the agreement and on Monday, U.S. officials notified the United Nations of their intention to pull out.
"The U.S. decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement will not cause us to withdraw from it as well," Israel's Environmental Protection Minister Ze'ev Elkin said. "Israel ascribes great importance to dealing with the climate crisis and is committed to meeting our goals."
Elkin touted the country's advances in reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as the country transitions from coal to natural gas. The country is also using more renewable energy and energy storage technology.
"The Paris Agreement creates a golden opportunity for Israeli technologies to enter the global clean tech market and transform the global technology market," Elkin said.
China and France issued a joint statement in support of the agreement, saying they consider it an "irreversible process."
