Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Thursday he will leave White House advisory councils after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord.
Trump’s decision to pull the United States from the landmark 2015 global agreement to fight climate change spurned pleas from U.S. allies and corporate leaders in an action that fulfilled a major campaign pledge.
“Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” Musk said in a Twitter post.
Musk said on Wednesday that he had done “all I can” to convince Trump to stay in the accord, and threatened to leave presidential advisory councils if Trump announced a U.S. exit.
The White House is planning to a hold a meeting with technology leaders on June 19, an administration spokesman said Wednesday.
Separately, General Motors Co said Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra will not leave a presidential advisory panel.
The automaker said her participation “provides GM a seat at an important table to contribute to a constructive dialogue about key policy issues.”
GM added that “the forum continues to provide an opportunity to work with the administration and other corporate leaders on policies that support a strong and competitive economy and automotive industry.”
In 2013, GM signed a declaration joining other major companies arguing that responding to climate change is good business. The automaker said Thursday despite the withdrawal it “will not waver from our commitment to the environment.”
It was unclear whether Ford Motor Co’s new CEO, James Hackett, would join Trump’s panel. Former Ford CEO Mark Fields has been a member of a Trump advisory panel.
Ford spokeswoman Christin Baker said Thursday the No.2 U.S. automaker believes “climate change is real, and remain deeply committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our vehicles and our facilities.”
