Trump vows to undo Obama's climate agenda; wins enough delegates for presidential nomination

SPH Brightcove Video
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told reporters in Bismarck, North Dakota that if world leaders are rattled by him, 'That's a good thing.'
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally on May 26, 2016, in Billings, Montana. PHOTO: AFP

BISMARCK, North Dakota (REUTERS) - Mr Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, promised on Thursday (May 26) to roll back some of America's most ambitious environmental policies, including pulling out of the UN global climate accord, in a bid to revive the ailing oil and coal industries, and bolster national security.

Besides withdrawing from the climate pact, Mr Trump also said he would approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada and rescind measures by President Barack Obama to cut US emissions and protect waterways from industrial pollution.

"Any regulation that's outdated, unnecessary, bad for workers or contrary to the national interest will be scrapped and scrapped completely," Mr Trump told about 7,700 people at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck, the capital of oil-rich North Dakota.

"We're going to do all this while taking proper regard for rational environmental concerns."

It was Mr Trump's first speech detailing the energy policies he would advance if elected president. He received loud applause from the crowd of oil executives.

The comments painted a stark contrast between the New York billionaire and his Democratic rivals for the White House, Mrs Hillary Clinton and Mr Bernie Sanders, who advocate a sharp turn away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy technologies to combat climate change.

Mr Trump slammed both rivals in his speech, saying their policies would kill jobs and force the United States "to be begging for oil again" from Middle East producers. "It's not going to happen. Not with me," he said.

Mr Trump's comments drew quick criticism from environmental advocates, who called his proposals "frightening."

"Trump's energy policies would accelerate climate change, protect corporate polluters who profit from poisoning our air and water, and block the transition to clean energy that is necessary to strengthen our economy and protect our climate and health," said Mr Tom Steyer, a billionaire environmental activist.

But industry executives cheered the stance. "It's simple. If Trump wins, oil field workers will be happy. If Clinton wins, oil workers will be unhappy," said Mr Derrick Alexander, an operations manager at oilfield services firm Integrated Productions Services.

Mr Trump hit Mrs Clinton hard in his speech, saying the former secretary of state would be more aggressive than Mr Obama on regulations. He repeated several times Mrs Clinton's March comments that her policies would put coal miners out of work. "Hillary Clinton's agenda is job destruction," Mr Trump said.

CANCEL PARIS CLIMATE PACT

Mr Trump said slashing regulation would help the United States achieve energy independence and reduce America's reliance on Middle Eastern producers. "Imagine a world in which oil cartels will no longer use energy as a weapon," he said.

The United States currently produces about 55 per cent of the oil it uses, with another quarter of the total coming from Canada and Mexico, and less than 20 per cent coming from OPEC, according to US Energy Department statistics.

Mr Trump's advisers, including US Representative Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, have said they suggested he examine the role of OPEC in the global oil price slump since 2014, which has contributed to the demise of a handful of smaller US oil companies. Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members have declined to cut production to support prices.

Until Thursday, Mr Trump had been short on details of his energy policy. He has said he believes global warming is a hoax, that his administration would revive the US coal industry, and that he supports hydraulic fracturing - an environmentally controversial drilling technique that has triggered a boom in US production.

Earlier this month, he told Reuters in an interview that he would renegotiate "at a minimum" the UN global climate accord agreed by 195 countries in Paris last December, saying he viewed the deal as bad for US business.

He took that a step further in North Dakota. "We're going to cancel the Paris climate agreement," he said.

Mr Trump also promised he would invite Canadian pipeline company TransCanada to reapply to build the Keystone XL pipeline into the United States, reversing a decision by Mr Obama to block the project over environmental concerns.

"I want it built, but I want a piece of the profits," Mr Trump said. "That's how we're going to make our country rich again."

In response to Trump's promise that he would seek more profits from the pipeline, TransCanada spokesman James Millar noted the project would create jobs, offer major contracts to US suppliers and provide tens of millions in taxes for state coffers.

"The pipeline will benefit American workers longer term as the companies they work for have signed contracts to ship and refine oil through Keystone XL," he said in an email.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.