AP/ Evan Vucci
Elon Musk is breaking his ties with the White House now that President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement.The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said on Wednesday that he would have "no choice" but to leave Trump's advisory councils if the US withdrew from the landmark climate deal - a commitment he reiterated on Thursday.
"Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world," Musk tweeted on Thursday.
Musk has sat on two of Trump's councils: an economic advisory board and the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative.
Musk has reportedly used his access to the President to push for a carbon tax, but ties to the White House could have also been beneficial to Musk's massive infrastructure project: a tunnel under Los Angeles. Musk has attended three separate meetings at the White House about US manufacturing and infrastructure spending.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO chose to remain on Trump's two councils in the wake of criticism related to the President's proposed immigration ban, but is drawing the line when it comes to breaking the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement lays out a framework for countries to phase out fossil fuels and adopt clean energy in an attempt to prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. It's the cornerstone of President Barack Obama's climate legacy.
Musk joined other Silicon Valley leaders in publicly admonishing a decision to break the climate deal. Apple CEO Tim Cook urged Trump not to leave the Paris Agreement via a phone call earlier this week.
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Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.
- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2017