In a move that has angered environmental groups, US President Donald Trump is pulling his country out of the Paris climate change deal.
The decision is facing widespread condemnation inside the US, but how much does the withdrawal imperil countries in Africa?
Giles Gibson reports from Washington DC:
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Byte Donald Trump
"I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris"
UPSOT applause
Donald Trump called it a "reassertion of American sovereignty", yanking the US out of the Paris pact only 18 months after it was negotiated
But analysts say the US is now giving up its frontline position in the battle against climate change.
Jonathan Cristol is a fellow at the World Policy Institute
Byte New York analyst
Jonathan Cristol, Fellow at World Policy Institute
"What he is doing is he is withdrawing us not from any sort of legal requirement that we were bound to undertake, but he is withdrawing the US from a position of global leadership."
Critics of the Trump administration's withdrawal say decisions made in Washington, could also have a devastating impact in other parts of the world
In Africa, the Green Climate Fund will provide cash for low carbon programmes in developing countries.
By withdrawing now, President Trump is stopping two out of the 3 billion dollars his country pledged from reaching those projects.
But environmental groups say the US withdrawal shouldn't stop countries like South Africa from transitioning to renewables
Brandon Wu is from ActionAid in Washington DC:
Byte ActionAid
Brandon Wu, ActionAid
"Currently the government is investing in a lot of the wrong things like nuclear, and with the right amount of investment in terms of both financial investment and technological investment, South Africa has a huge opportunity to leapfrog all kinds of dirty energy towards an economy that's driven by solar and wind energy."
As one of the top global carbon emitters by country, there's no avoiding the fact that a US withdrawal will damage the long-term impact of the Paris pact.
The question for countries in Africa and the rest of the world, is just how much?
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