US diplomats should sidestep questions from foreign governments on what it would take for the Trump administration to re-engage in the global Paris climate agreement<\/a>, according to a diplomatic cable seen by Reuters.<\/p>\n The cable, sent by the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson<\/a>, to embassies on Friday, also said diplomats should make clear the United States wants to help other countries use fossil fuels.<\/p>\n In the wake of Donald Trump\u2019s announcement in June that the United States would withdraw from the accord<\/a>, the cable tells diplomats to expect foreign government representatives to ask questions like: \u201cDoes the United States have a climate change policy?\u201d and \u201cIs the administration advocating the use of fossil fuels over renewable energy?\u201c<\/p>\n If asked, for example, \u201cWhat is the process for consideration of re-engagement in the Paris Agreement?,\u201d the answer should be vague: \u201cWe are considering a number of factors. I do not have any information to share on the nature or timing of the process,\u201d the cable advises.<\/p>\n The US state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the cable.<\/p>\n Trump campaigned on a promise to \u201ccancel\u201d the Paris deal, saying he believed it would cost the US economy trillions of dollars, while leaving developing nations such as China unfettered. In a sharp difference with the previous administration of Barack Obama, a Democrat, Trump has several times called climate change a hoax.<\/p>\n In June, Trump left the door open to re-engagement if terms improve. The United States would \u201cstart to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal that\u2019s fair\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n The state department guidance clarifies that right now, \u201cthere are no plans to seek to re-negotiate or amend the text of the Paris Agreement<\/a>.\u201d But it adds: \u201cThe president is sincere in his commitment to look for a path to re-engage that takes into account his concerns for US economic growth and energy security.\u201d<\/p>\n The Paris accord, agreed by nearly 200 countries in 2015, seeks to limit planetary warming by curbing global emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that scientists believe drive global warming. The United States, under the Obama administration, had promised to cut emissions as much as 28% from 2005 levels by 2025.<\/p>\n