Mayor Ed Lee promises SF will follow Paris agreement after Trump withdraws

After Trump announced his intent to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, Mayor Ed Lee took to Medium and Twitter to voice his concerns.

“In the absence of federal leadership, San Francisco will continue to take aggressive measures on climate change,” wrote Lee. “Our city is proof that strong action on climate change is good for the planet and good for business.”

The mayor points out that San Francisco reduced citywide emissions by 28 percent since 1990, “even while our population has grown by 19 percent and our local economy by 78 percent.”

Mayor Lee is one of 61 U.S. mayors who have pledged to adopt the Paris accord even after the federal government have pulled out.

Lee goes on to say, “San Francisco is committed to working with cities, regions, states, institutions and businesses both nationally and internationally in the fight against climate change. The rest of the world’s countries have signaled they are committed to the Paris Agreement and so is San Francisco.”

Here are a few of the mayor’s tweets after today’s announcement:

Other national politicos responded with outrage. Former Vice President Al Gore called it "reckless and indefensible," while Senator Bernie Sanders slammed the decision as "an abdication of American leadership and an international disgrace.”

Silicon Valley notable and Tesla/Space X founder Elon Musk stepped down from Trump’s council shortly after the Paris accord announcement was made.

• With Paris Agreement Threatened, Cities Must Act [Ed Lee, Medium]
• Elon Musk: I'm Departing Trump's Councils [SFGate]
• Mayor Eric Garcetti says LA will adhere to Paris agreement after Trump withdraws [Curbed LA]
• 61 mayors adopt Paris climate accord after U.S. pulls out [Curbed]