President Trump
Donald Trump29 percent of GOP support efforts to charge accused Jan. 6 rioters: poll Trump warns Alaska GOP governor he'll revoke endorsement if he backs Murkowski Michigan Republican John James 'strongly considering' House run MORE marked Earth Day on Sunday by renewing his vow to undo "unnecessary and harmful regulations," and insisting that a "market-driven economy is essential to protecting" the environment.
"We know that it is impossible for humans to flourish without clean air, land, and water," Trump said in a statement released by the White House. "We also know that a strong, market-driven economy is essential to protecting these resources."
"For this reason, my Administration is dedicated to removing unnecessary and harmful regulations that restrain economic growth and make it more difficult for local communities to prosper and to choose the best solutions for their environment."
Since taking office, Trump has sought to undo federal environmental regulations that he has deemed harmful to U.S. economic growth. Critics, however, have blasted the regulatory reversals as harmful to the environment.
Trump rejected that criticism on Sunday, saying that his administration's focus on economic growth only bolsters environmental protections.
"Already, we are making great economic progress in concert with — not in opposition to — protecting our environment," he said.
Last June, Trump also announced that he would pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, which sought to reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change.
That agreement, Trump argued, put the U.S. at an economic disadvantage while allowing countries like China and India to continue their use of fossil fuels. He has said that he will consider rejoining the agreement if he can work out better terms for the U.S.
In fact, the Paris accord allows each individual country to set its own goals for reducing carbon emissions and does not contain a formal mechanism for enforcing those commitments.
