The international climate agreement ultimately hurts developing countries that can't afford to implement environment regulations, according to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
In an interview on "Fox and Friends Sunday,"the Georgia Republican decried a "continuous pattern of people being terrified by something every 10 years, and the left always uses it as the argument for bigger government, for more restrictions of middle class, hard working people."
"The working poor and the very poor on the planet get crushed by these kind of agreements," Gingrich said of the Paris accord.
"So I am for more economic growth. Wealthier countries are better for the environment, poorer countries inevitably are harder for the environment."
The Paris agreement commits both wealthy and poor countries to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the effects of climate change.
"I'm very much for conservation," Gingrich added. "You have to have countries wealthy enough that they can afford to save animals and wealthy enough that they can afford to save their ecosystem."
President Donald Trump refused on Saturday to join fellow G7 leaders in a pledge of support for the 195-nation climate agreement, tweeting he'll announce a decision this week. Meanwhile, one report said Trump will withdraw from the climate deal.
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