(CN) - The United States began the formal process of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement on Friday, informing the United Nations it wants to make the break "as soon as it is eligible to do so."
In a statement announcing its communication with the United Nations, which is the depositary of the climate accord, the State Department reiterated President Donald Trump's claim that he's open to re-engaging with the agreement "if the United States can identify terms that are more favorable to it, its businesses, its workers, its people, and its taxpayers."
The formal notice of withdrawal says the United States will continue to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions "through innovation and technology breakthroughs," and that it will "work with other countries to help them access and use fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently" and deploy renewable and other clean energy sources.
The State Department said the U.S. will continue to participate in international climate change negotiations and meetings, including the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP-23) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to protect the nation's interests.
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