Germany's outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz said he "deeply regretted" the US' decision to leave the Paris Climate Agreement, and added that ignoring the facts would not make climate change or the country's responsibilities as history's biggest greenhouse gas polluter disappear.

Speaking at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, where ministers from over 40 nations are gathered to shape the agenda for the COP30 climate summit in November in Brazil, Scholz (SPD) said pulling back from climate protection meant the US would miss out on "enormous" economic opportunities.

"The global market for climate-friendly key technologies continues to grow rapidly," said Scholz, who is acting chancellor until a new German government is formed.

The meeting comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump's decision to again pull out of the Paris climate accord and boost oil and gas production at a time when rising temperatures and extreme weather events are breaking records.

Trump's election and subsequent actions have plunged climate multilateralism into a "deep crisis," said Martin Kaiser, executive director of Greenpeace Germany.

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"The world's biggest economy not being at the table of the climate negotiations is a big downfall. So, the Petersberg Dialogue is the first........

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