Most environmental experts were not surprised to earn that Donald Trump was going to pull the United States out of the Paris Accord on climate change.

On Thursday the U.S. president announced he would pull his country out of the landmark agreement that has commitments from every country in the world except Syria and Nicaragua.

The move was denounced by leaders around the world including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and France's president Emmanuel Macron.

 

 

The move was also roundly condemned throughout the U.S.as mayors and state governors said they would continue to commit to the climate change agreement.

The executive director of Montreal-based Equiterre said that was not surprising.

"Canada has had more progressive policies on climate for a couple of decades than in the U.S. in general and a lot of the actions in Canada have come from the provinces as is also the case in the U.S.," said Sydney Ribaux. “It's going to make the goals more difficult to attain, obviously if the U.S.government is not on the side to attain climate change, it's a big player it makes it that much harder to reach the goals that were set out in the Paris accord.”

Quebec's Environment Minister David Heurtel agreed, saying the Paris Accord will not die simply because of one country pulling out.

"There is reason to be hopeful especially when you look at countries like China who have said very publicly yesterday [Thursday] that they're going to stay within the Paris Accord and also they're setting up cap and trade system, much similar to that of Quebec, California and Ontario's," said Heurtel. “Quebec is leading the way with a cap and trade system.”

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre was also among those denouncing Trump's action, and Montreal City Hall, like many other local capitals, was lit in green Thursday night to show solidarity with the climate change agreement.

“I think that symbolically we need to show that strong message that those accords will be a reality and a government may say something but the people remain united,” he said.

The Paris Agreement commits governments to hold the increase in average global temperature to 2 C above pre-industrial levels.