Differences between the United States and other leading economies over climate change remain wide and are destined to stay that way, Italy's environment minister, Gian Luca Galletti, said on Sunday, as Washington's environment chief left a Group of Seven meeting a day early.
G7 environment ministers and officials are meeting in Bologna on Sunday and Monday to discuss issues including climate change, sustainable development and litter at sea.
"Positions over the Paris accord are far apart ... and will remain like that," Galletti said on the sidelines of a meeting of G-7 environment ministers from the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Britain. Italy holds the G-7 presidency for 2017.