Amber Rudd says she 'hopes' UK will use its influence with Donald Trump over climate change

'It is disappointing the Americans are pulling out' of Paris Agreement, Home Secretary says

Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, has expressed disappointment over reports that Donald Trump plans to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Ms Rudd, a former Climate Change Secretary, also said she hoped the UK could use its influence with the US President to make sure America takes “the right step”.

Theresa May has been silent on the issue despite the open criticism of Mr Trump by other European leaders and a petition raised by Greenpeace urging her to speak to the Republican billionaire.

Ms Rudd filled in for the Prime Minister during the BBC’s general election leaders debate after Ms May's controversial decision not to take part.

"It is disappointing the Americans are pulling out," Ms Rudd said, after a member of the audience asked how the panellists would respond to the expected announcement.

"But I hope that we can use our relationship with President Trump and our close relationship with the US to try and influence, to try to make sure that they nevertheless take the right step."

Picking up on Ms Rudd’s remark, Angus Robertson, the deputy SNP leader, said he was “more than disappointed, I’m appalled that President Trump is walking away from a global approach to one of the biggest challenges we face both at home and abroad”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the UK should "absolutely adhere" to the Paris Agreement and also urge the US to do the same.

In addition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, he said the switch to renewables was also about "levels of air quality and air pollution in our cities, which are not being addressed by this Government".

ClientEarth, a group of activist environmental lawyers, has twice successfully taken the Government to court to force it to improve its plan to cut air pollution and recently announced it would do the same again after Ministers published their third attempt.

During last year’s Conservative leadership contest, ultimately won by Ms May, some saw Ms Rudd as a potential candidate but she decided not to run.

However she challenged then leading contender Boris Johnson to make clear he was not a climate science denier, stressing how important she believed the issue was.

“When I consider who to back as leader of the Conservative party and future Prime Minister, knowing where they stand on this issue, which is so important to me and I think is so important to the whole country and to everyone here, will be absolutely central to who I support,” she said.

“And I will be very, very clear about that and very vocal in holding anybody to account on that the getting the sort of commitment that will reassure all of us.”