Shell CEO warns Trump against breaking Paris climate deal

American companies will face detrimental consequences if U.S. president Donald Trump decides to withdraw his country from the Paris climate agreement, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden warned in an interview with British newspaper Financial Times. Van Beurden is one of the first to criticize Trump's decisions from the business community, which is set to benefit from Trump's promises of tax cuts and relaxed rules, RTL Nieuws reports.

"I think the U.S. will be weaker if they retreat and will ensure that they are no longer invited to other negotiations", Van Beurden said to the newspaper. According to him, many American companies are active in the field of energy transition. "One way or another they are more likely to suffer than benefit from the U.S. stepping out of the climate agreement."

Shell plans to invest more and more into the energy transition in the coming years, and with the United States as its biggest investment location, Van Beurden will regret a decision to abandon the energy agreement. He does not, however, think that Trump's decision will put the Paris agreement at risk. The agreement may be weakened, but the U.S. does not have the power to reverse this social movement, he said.