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Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he will leave President Donald Trump’s advisory councils if the US withdraws from the Paris Agreement. Elon Musk, among other CEOs of major American companies, urged Trump to uphold the agreement. He tweeted Wednesday that he has “done all [he] can to advise directly to [Trump],” through White House officials and advisory councils, to remain in the accord.

When President Donald Trump came into power, he invited the who’s who of the industry to be a part of his advisory council so that it could help in making good strategic decision. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is an important part of that council.

Trump’s advisory team

President-elect Donald Trump formed a council to advise him on various sections of society from infra to business that comprised of the leaders of a variety of major U.S. corporations including GE, GM, Boeing, Disney and IBM. Stephen Schwarzman, ceo of investment firm called Blackstone Group LP Is the chairman of the council. The forum could meet as frequently as monthly and discuss on priorities like cutting regulations that affect business, lowering the corporate tax rate, job creation etc.

Elon Musk and the advisory council

Elon Musk on Trump’s multiple council :

#Manufacturing jobs council

#Strategic and policy forum, and

#Infrastructure council.

 

Anti-Trump activists never supported Trump and they were obviously not impressed by seeing Musk’s involvement with Trump. Musk has defended his role advising Trump, arguing that they should want his voice in the discussions to offer views that differ from those of the president’s other advisors.

The move by Musk to be a part of council indicates his initiative to influence the president on crucial climate issues, including the Paris agreement and carbon tax proposals. It is also to be noted that Musk’s businesses benefit significantly from tax credits for electric cars and solar panel installations, and NASA contracts are one of SpaceX’s primary sources of revenue.  However Musk argued more on humanitarian ground for the prevention of climate change.

Paris Agreement

With the help of Paris Agreement a framework comes into being where participating countries put a control on phase out fossil fuels and adopt clean energy in order to prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. President Barack Obama’s climate legacy was centered on this discussion. Trump on the other hand was moving towards undoing almost everything done by Obama so there is a great likelihood that USA will pull-out of the Paris agreement.

Musk had multiple discussion with advisory and Trump and was pushing for a carbon tax, which would incentivize companies to use energy sources that emit less carbon while reducing other taxes to level the playing field.

Trump will announce his decision on the involvement of the U.S. in the accord on Thursday. Sources told that he is expected to pull the U.S. out of the deal. The accord, if agreed along with 200 more countries would have forced the U.S. to reduce fossil fuel emissions by nearly 30 percent by 2025.

Twitter

Elon Musk tweeted Wednesday that he’s done everything possible to lobby the president to keep the U.S. in the treaty.

“Don’t know which way Paris will go, but I’ve done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain,” Musk said.

Asked via Twitter what he’ll do if Trump decides to leave, Musk responded that he would “have no choice but to depart [the] councils in that case.”

Don't know which way Paris will go, but I've done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017

Will have no choice but to depart councils in that case

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017