(RNN) - Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor, said he will provide up to $15 million to support the United Nation's unit that coordinates the Paris Climate Agreement.
Bloomberg's announcement Friday comes a day after President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the United States from the pact, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
The money to support the operations of the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will come from Bloomberg Philanthropies and its partners.
"Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris Agreement by leading from the bottom up - and there isn’t anything Washington can do to stop us,” Bloomberg said in a news release.
Praise for the pledge came from Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC's executive secretary.
"In order to achieve Paris in full and deliver a low emissions, resilient and more secure future for every man, woman and child, it is very encouraging to see that all actors reaffirm their willingness to work together,” Espinosa said.
After Bloomberg met Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the Paris Agreement, he issued a statement saying in part that there is a strong consensus among scientists that human activity is changing the climate.
"The timing and magnitude of the changes are harder to pin down, but we cannot stick our heads in the sand and ignore the risks they present, especially when we’re already seeing the effects all around us - whether they’re measured in rising sea levels, or depleting coral reefs, or the number of children with asthma," he said.
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