"I'm greatly disappointed with Trump's decision, which means that the United States will turn its back on the wisdom of humanity," Environment Minister Koichi Yamamoto said. "I won't be surprised if other countries follow suit."

Regional revitalization minister Kozo Yamamoto said the decision "cast a damper" on the international efforts to tackle global warming. "It would be undesirable if the trust in the United States' global leadership is undermined," he said.

"It's regrettable because we were planning to deepen cooperation with the US government" in the fight against climate change, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said, noting that the United States "has a major presence" over the issue.

"We'll patiently continue to explain the importance of the Paris accord to the Trump administration," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.

During a speech at the White House on Thursday, Trump announced his country's pullout from the accord. "The Paris climate accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States," Trump said. (Jiji Press)