EPA head Pruitt: Paris climate change agreement 'all hat and no cattle'

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EPA Administrator Pruitt: President Trump put America first

On 'The Story,' EPA chief discusses the withdrawal from the Paris climate deal

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt defended the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change Monday night, dismissing the accord as "all hat and no cattle."

In an appearance on "The Story with Martha MacCallum," Pruitt pointed out that the agreement was criticized by environmentalists because "it did not hold China and India accountable" to reduce their carbon emissions.

"India didn’t have to take any steps in the agreement to reduce [carbon dioxide] emissions until they received $2.5 trillion in aid," Pruitt said. "China didn’t have to take any steps until the year 2030."

Meanwhile, Pruitt added, the U.S. would have seen "up to 400,000 jobs lost under the Paris Agreement and $2.5 trillion of [GDP] over ten years while China and India take no steps."

Pruitt also said American companies should focus on building on their progress in reducing emissions.

"From 2000 to 2014, we reduced our [carbon dioxide] footprint by over 18 percent, but yet the previous administration went to Paris and was apologetic," he said. "And [President Trump] said, 'No longer. We’re going to make sure that we put America first.'"