Elon Musk just threatened to leave Trump's advisory councils if the US withdraws from Paris climate deal

Danielle Muoio

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he will leave President Donald Trump's advisory councils if the US withdraws from the Paris Agreement.

Trump is planning to pull out of the Paris climate deal, Axios reported early Wednesday.

"Don't know which way Paris will go, but I've done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain," Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, said on Twitter Wednesday.

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Musk then said he will have "no choice" but to depart Trump's advisory councils if the US pulls out of the climate deal.

Musk sits on two separate councils under Trump: the Economic Advisory Board and the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative. Musk has come under fire for his proximity to the Trump administration, with some customers claiming to have canceled their Model 3 orders due to his involvement.

Musk has visited the White House on three separate occasions since Trump took office in January for meetings regarding infrastructure spending and US manufacturing.

The Paris Agreement lays out a framework for countries to phase our fossil fuels and adopt clean energy in order to prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. It's the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's climate legacy.

Musk has reportedly used his access to Trump to push for a carbon tax, which would incentivize companies to use energy sources that emit less carbon while reducing other taxes to level the playing field.

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Musk reportedly has used his access to Trump to push for a carbon tax, which would incentivize companies to use energy sources that emit less carbon. In January, Musk endorsed Rex Tillerson for secretary of state because Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, has supported such a tax. Musk has for years publicly called for a carbon tax, including at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

"Advisory councils simply provide advice, and attending does not mean that I agree with actions by the administration," Musk said in February. "My goals are to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy and to help make humanity a multi-planet civilization, a consequence of which will be the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and a more inspiring future for all."

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