‘US has the cleanest air, but same in China, India and Russia is filthy’

Ex-US President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida. PIC/AFP

In his first public speech since leaving the White House, former US president Donald Trump has raised the climate issue while criticising his successor Joe Biden for rejoining the "very unfair" Paris Agreement, saying what good does it do when America is "clean" but China, Russia and India are not.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Committee in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, the 74-year-old leader, who left the White House on January 20, came down heavily on the Biden administration for putting the "United States back into the very unfair and very costly Paris Climate Accord without negotiating a better deal".

"First of all, China does not kick in for 10 years, Russia goes by an old standard which was not a clean standard, but we get hit right from the beginning when it costs us hundreds of thousands and millions of jobs, it was a disaster... but they go back in. We have the cleanest air and cleanest water, and what good does it do when we're clean, but China is not and Russia is not and India is not, so they are pouring fumes... you know the world is a small piece of the universe and we're trying to protect everything," Trump said amidst applause from his supporters.

On February 19, the US officially returned to the historic Paris climate accord, 107 days after it left at the behest of former president Trump.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had termed that decision as a "major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote global security." In the past also, Trump has criticised China, India and Russia for pollution.

In October last year, he accused China, India and Russia of not taking care of their "filthy air" as he justified America's withdrawal from the landmark Paris climate agreement.

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2,27,991
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

11,42,23,289
Total no. of cases worldwide

25,33,129
Total no. of deaths worldwide