State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued the following statement on reports that the Trump administration plans to withdraw from the Paris agreement:“As an investor who participated in the Paris Agreement discussions, I witnessed firsthand the fierce commitment to proactively addressing climate change and saving our planet shared by world leaders. As the trustee of New York state’s $192 billion pension fund, I have sought out profitable and sustainable investments and encouraged our portfolio companies, like Exxon, to adopt smart, long-term plans that address climate change.
“In Paris, the world reached an unprecedented agreement to drastically lower carbon emissions and limit global warming to protect our planet. Investors and businesses, including the energy sector, were in agreement, and have endorsed the goals of the Paris Agreement. The fact that a landslide majority of Exxon’s shareholders today voted in favor of our request that America’s largest oil company address the impact of the Paris Agreement demonstrates the market’s determination to mitigate climate risk.
“We should be leading this effort, not running from the promise we made in Paris.”