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Here's why famous landmarks across the world turned bright green last night

Landmarks from Paris to Mexico City turned green to send a powerful message.
Landmarks from Paris to Mexico City turned green to send a powerful message. Landmarks from Paris to Mexico City turned green to send a powerful message.

Cities around the world lit major landmarks up bright green after US President Donald Trump announced the United States will withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate accord.

Trump raised the possibility of negotiating to re-enter the accord – or an entirely new deal – on terms that were “fair” to the US. But his decision strikes a major blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming.

The leaders of France, Germany and Italy joined to “note with regret” the Trump decision.

And, as a way of showing their support of the Paris agreement, many cities around the world made major landmarks glow green last night – including The World Trade Centre, the Kosciuszko Bridge and City Hall in Donald Trump’s home town of New York.

Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, tweeted pictures of the landmarks lit up with the message: “World: the Empire State stands with you. New York shines green for our planet, our health and our children’s future.”Other US cities, such as Boston and Washington DC, also joined in.

Over in Paris, City Hall poignantly stood out bright green.

City Hall of Paris, France, illuminated in green
City Hall of Paris, France, illuminated in green
(Nadine Achoui-Lesage/AP)

And Montreal and Mexico City were amongst other global cities that followed suit by illuminating major landmarks.

Under former president Barack Obama, the US had agreed to reduce polluting emissions by more than a quarter below 2005 levels by 2025. But the national targets are voluntary, leaving room for the US and the nearly 200 other countries in the agreement to alter their commitments.