Tesla CEO threatens to quit Trump biz council if US leaves Paris deal

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk says he will quit President Trump’s business advisory council if the U.S. leaves the Paris climate agreement.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, sits on the President’s Strategic and Policy Council of business executives.

Reports on Wednesday said that Trump is planning to pull the U.S. out of the Paris accords.

Musk tweeted that he has tried to convince Trump to say in the climate pact. And he added that he would have no choice but to quit the president’s business advisory group, if Trump went ahead and left.

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

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017

Musk isn’t the only prominent tech leader to try to convince the president to honor the accord, which commits the U.S. to take steps that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

{mosads}The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other business leaders called Trump to sway him.

Musk previously used his position on the business council to express his concerns with the president’s travel ban on foreign nationals from predominately Muslim countries.

Musk has faced pressure from activists to leave the council, but has defended his role as an adviser to the White House.

The CEO has said that despite political differences with Trump, it was “important” for him to be part of the debate.