Donald Trump to remove climate change from National Security Strategy

Donald Trump: The US leader is to remove climate change from the strategy
AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump is to remove climate change from the list of global threats made in his National Security Strategy.

The US President’s position is a reversal of his predecessor Barack Obama’s decision to place it in the strategy. Mr Trump mocked this during the election campaign.

The last strategy document, which was prepared in 2015, read that climate change is an “urgent and growing threat to our national security”.

A senior official said Mr Trump’s plan removes that determination, but will mention the importance of environmental stewardship.

Instead, the document will focus on economic competitiveness and border security.

It comes after the administration's threat to pull out of the Paris climate accord.

The Federalist website quoted a draft document of the strategy as saying: “US leadership is indispensable to countering an anti-growth energy agenda that is detrimental to US economic and energy security interests.”

“Much of the developing world will require fossil fuels, as well as other forms of energy, to power their economies and lift their people out of poverty.”

The website also quoted the draft report as saying the US will remain a global leader in reducing "traditional pollution" and greenhouse gases, while also growing its economy.

“Climate change is not identified as a national security threat but climate and the importance of the environment and environmental stewardship are discussed,” a senior administration official said.

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