Trump pulled out of the Paris climate deal and the rest of the world is mad about it

The decision by US President Donald Trump to pull America out from the 2015 Paris climate agreement has stirred controversy, with world leaders expressing disappointment at the withdrawal.

Under the Barack Obama administration, the US was one of the countries that signed the agreement committing to mitigating the effects of global warming by, among other things, keeping the global temperature rise below an average of 2 degrees celsius (3.6F) by the end of the century.

However, Trump believes the deal puts the US at a disadvantage. Announcing the withdrawal on 1 June, he called for a fresh round of negotiations to reach a new, "fairer" accord.

His decision prompted Italy, France and Germany to immediately issue a joint statement stressing that the current deal - a "cornerstone in the cooperation between our countries" - cannot be renegotiated.

"We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies," read the statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron labelled Trump's decision a mistake and called on climate change scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to go to France to continue their work. "They will find in France a second homeland," he said.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May drew criticism for not signing the joint statement issued by France, Italy and Germany. However, she expressed disappointment at the US decision to pull out from the agreement in a phone call with Trump.

Downing Street said in a statement: "The prime minister expressed her disappointment with the decision and stressed that the UK remained committed to the Paris Agreement, as she set out recently at the G7. She said that the Paris Agreement provides the right global framework for protecting the prosperity and security of future generations, while keeping energy affordable and secure for our citizens and businesses."

Former US president Obama said the withdrawal meant the US had joined a "small handful of nations that reject the future". American senator Bernie Sanders said the decision was an "international disgrace".

Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Rasmussen said it was a "sad day for the world".

The EU's commissioner for climate action and energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, said the climate accord would continue in spite of Trump's decision. He said: "Today is a sad day for the global community, as a key partner turns its back on the fight against climate change. The EU deeply regrets the unilateral decision by the Trump administration to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement."

The UN Climate Change Secretariat said the "historic agreement" cannot be negotiated based on the request of a single party.

Trump's decision has triggered condemnation by scientists, rights groups and celebrities as well.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said Trump had misunderstood its research after the leader used it to explain the withdrawal.

"Even if the Paris Agreement were implemented in full, with total compliance from all nations, it is estimated it would only produce a two-tenths of one degree Celsius reduction in global temperature by the year 2100," Trump said. The White House explained the claim was attributed to a 2016 MIT research.

University officials later said in a statement quoted by Reuters: "We certainly do not support the withdrawal of the US from the Paris agreement."

Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio slammed Trump's decision. "Today, the future livability of our planet was threatened by President Trump's careless decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement," he said. "Our future on this planet is now more at risk than ever before. For Americans and those in the world community looking for strong leadership on climate issues, this action is deeply discouraging."

Disney CEO Robert Iger announced that he had resigned from a White House advisory council following Trump's announcement.

Rights groups Amnesty International said Trump's decision was an "assault" to human rights.