Will’s Word: Pacific will pay the price for Trump’s reckless Paris Agreement exit

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, couldn’t be more spot on when he called out Donald Trump for his reckless decision to pull his country out of the Paris Agreement.

It’s one thing to put America First, but it’s another to blatantly ignore the undeniable reality of climate change.

Let’s break this down.

The United States is the second largest carbon emitter in the world, right behind China.

Yet, despite this massive contribution to global warming, Trump wants to withdraw from climate efforts without even considering shutting down coal power plants.

It’s blimmin selfish, especially when countries like PNG are already feeling the devastating effects of climate change that they didn’t cause.

Papua New Guinea PM James Marape is spot on calling out US President Donald Trump for withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, says William Terite. Photo/Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

I'm not saying Marape’s the perfect leader but he's right, good leaders don’t just care about their own borders.

They take responsibility for the world as a whole.

The planet is heating up, the science is crystal clear, and Trump’s refusal to acknowledge it is not only shortsighted but also dangerous.

Trump needs to wake up and realise that leadership isn’t just about self-interest, because at the end of the day we’ll all pay the price, especially vulnerable nations in the Pacific.

That’s Will’s Word.