Elon Musk Quits Trump Advisory Role Over Paris Accord Exit: ‘Climate Change Is Real’

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO says climate change was too important to ignore

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is a man of his word. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX tweeted Thursday that he’s stepping down as a White House adviser shortly after President Trump announced the U.S .would back out of the Paris Climate Accord.

Earlier in the week, Musk said he’d exit his roles on President Trump’s economic advisory board and manufacturing jobs initiative council if he decided to abandon the agreement.

The Paris agreement went into effect in November, with the 195 signatories aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 2020. Musk said he relayed his opinion on the importance of staying within the Paris accord to Trump.

Musk had received criticism for staying on as an adviser after other tech CEOs like Uber’s Travis Kalanick had left the President’s business council following the attempt to block the entry of people from Muslim-majority countries earlier this year.

Musk had argued it was better to have the president’s ear on important issues, saying “engaging [with Trump] on critical issues will on balance serve the greater good.”

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