BMW has said its commitment to sustainability will not change following President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement.

Trump announced last week that the US would withdraw from the agreement – which includes greenhouse gas limits – on economic grounds, as it would ultimately end up costing jobs.

But now the US branch of German car manufacturer BMW has issued a statement saying,  “protecting the environment and economic prosperity must go hand-in-hand in the future.”

The news comes as China, the EU and India – the four biggest emitters of CO2 along with the USA – all confirm their commitment to the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. 

"The BMW Group has a long-standing and unwavering commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said the statement. "This applies to our production operations as well as to continuous improvements in fuel economy and the reduction of emissions from our vehicles."

Following Trump’s announcement on Thursday 1 June, Prime Minister Theresa May said she was ‘disappointed’ with the decision.

In a statement, a Downing Street spokesperson said: "President Trump called the Prime Minister this evening to discuss his decision to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement.

"The Prime Minister expressed her disappointment with the decision and stressed that the UK remained committed to the Paris Agreement, as she set out recently at the G7. 

"She said that the Paris Agreement provides the right global framework for protecting the prosperity and security of future generations, while keeping energy affordable and secure for our citizens and businesses.

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"The President made clear that the door remains open to future US involvement in the agreement 

"The Prime Minister and President agreed on the importance of continued cooperation on wider energy issues."

Other world leaders echoed the thoughts of the Prime Minister, with President Trump receiving worldwide condemnation for his decision.

Read the full statement from BMW USA below. 

Source: BMW

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Woodcliff Lake, NJ – June 2, 2017... The BMW Group has a long-standing and unwavering commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This applies to our production operations as well as to continuous improvements in fuel economy and the reduction of emissions from our vehicles. Protecting the environment and economic prosperity must go hand-in-hand in the future.

The BMW Group has a long-standing and unwavering commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This applies to our production operations as well as to continuous improvements in fuel economy and the reduction of emissions from our vehicles. Protecting the environment and economic prosperity must go hand-in-hand in the future.

As a business player, the BMW Group has over many years engaged in the international business and policy dialogue leading up to the Paris Agreement. The BMW Group welcomed the conclusion of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Despite challenges and disappointments, there is no doubt, combatting global warming requires the collaboration of all players at a global level – national, regional as well as government and private sector.

As in the past, the BMW Group will continue to work at an international level - including with US stakeholders - to facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gases and address global warming.

The BMW Group commitment to sustainability, to our customers and to the markets we serve around the world will not change.