US should be kicked out of UN climate change talks because of Donald Trump, say African campaigners

Calls for US delegation to be barred following Republican's decision to withdraw from Paris Agreement

Donald Trump has hinted he could 're-engage' the US with the Paris Agreement if he is allowed to negotiate new terms (AP)

African campaigners have called for the US to be kicked out of crucial international climate talks because of Donald Trump’s lack of support for green policies.

The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) has organised a petition in favour of the US delegation being barred from the UN negotiations in response to Mr Trump’s decision to pull his country out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The group claims the US has no right to be involved in discussions on how the agreement should be implemented given that it has chosen to opt-out of the deal.

“Trump’s agenda is to dismantle the Paris Agreement,” said Mithika Mwenda, secretary general of PACJA. “You’re either with the people or with Trump.”

Negotiators should “not give Trump the platform to rock the boat from within” he added, according to Climate Home News.

The UN’s two-week annual climate change summit, known as the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23) is taking place in Bonn, Germany, and is the first since Mr Trump was elected.

In June, the Republican announced that he would be withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement – a move he had long threatened to make.

The agreement is signed by 195 countries and states that global warming must be limited to “well below” 2C. It also provides for wealthier countries supporting poorer countries to cut their carbon emissions.

The US cannot formally leave the agreement until 2020, and so 48 American officials are in Bonn to take part in the talks.

Mr Trump has hinted that he could “re-engage” the US with the Paris Agreement at a later date, if he is able to re-negotiate his country’s responsibilities under the deal.