LISBON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- World leaders have a duty to preserve the planet for future generations, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Friday, referring to the United States' decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
"What unfortunately many world leaders don't know is that their main duty should be to preserve the planet for future generations," he said during a visit to a school in Santarem, around 70 km north of Portuguese capital.
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on Thursday to abandon the climate agreement has raised fears that efforts to combat global warming will be weakened. Trump has claimed that the environmental standards set in the agreement would hurt American businesses.
The Paris agreement for environmental action was signed by 195 nations.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "deeply disappointed" and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement that they took "note with regret of the decision."
