Macron promises at Paris summit to "Make Our Planet Great Again"

French president Emmanuel Macron has called on world governments to stay the course on fighting climate change despite America's decision to retreat from the Paris accords.

At a climate summit in Paris on Tuesday. Macron was to discuss the pace of progress on the Paris climate accords' aim of holding the rise in global temperatures to below 2ºC. He called for support from all nations and companies, condemning Washington's withdrawal even after it had already signed onto the international deal.

"The US did sign the Paris Agreement. It's extremely aggressive to decide on its own just to leave and no way to push the others to renegotiate because one decided to leave the floor. I'm sorry to say that. It doesn't fly," the French leader said.

When he announced his country's exit, United States President, Donald Trump claimed that the Paris climate accords would damage US businesses and the country's economy. Trump also said he wanted to reach a fairer deal that would not burden on American workers.

Yet Macron was unequivocal in his message, stating that he would not tolerate the US President’s demands for a renegotiation.

Tongue in cheek, he also hit out at the US's withdrawal through his chosen slogan for the summit "make the planet great again”, an ironic play on the wording of Trump's own election slogan "make America great again".

Among the stated objectives of Tuesday's gathering were raising money so that poorer countries could pursue clean energy and reducing development banks' handouts for new coal plants. Regulations for the shipping industry - which had thus far managed to evade new rules on emissions - were also thought to be on the agenda.

In parallel, the Elysee announced 18 scholarships for foreign scientists (13 of them from the US) to investigate climate change in France.