France, April 24 -- "We chose not to address the climate issue head-on, because the United States' positions on this subject are well known," France's ecology minister Monique Barbut, said.

Under President Donald Trump, the US, the largest and most powerful member of the Group of Seven industrialised economies, withdrawn from global agreements  and rolled back environmental protections.

"We wanted to prioritise G7 unity, particularly to protect this forum," Barbut added, saying her ministry would instead focus on "less contentious issues".

Trump's exit from climate bodies an act of 'profound cowardice'

 Barbut is  joined in Paris by the environment ministers of Italy, Canada, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The ...