Hours after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement , world leaders vowed to stride forward in the environmental fight with or without America.

As Trump and his administration waffled back on forth on the accord, policy experts and environmentalists said Americas era of global leadership , a core political position of former President Barack Obama , had come to an end .

Attention has now turned to another world power, China , which has reaffirmed its commitment to the Paris deal in an effort to become the planets leading nation when it comes to tackling climate change and its imperiling effects.