U.S. to join G-7 climate communique showing splits, Germany says

ROME �� The U.S. will join other Group of Seven nations in a communique at the end of a two-day climate meeting in Italy that will acknowledge points of disagreement, a top German official said.

Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said Sunday in Bologna that talks with Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, underlined agreement on such issues as pollution of the oceans. The G-7 states, "including the U.S.," agreed on joint efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, though Pruitt "made clear" the nations are at odds on climate protection, she said.

"I don't see how the U.S. will handle this when on the one hand it says yes, it will indeed reduce emissions, yet on the other hand it won't apply the instruments that have been created for this purpose," Hendricks said.

Pruitt, who led the campaign for the U.S. to quit the Paris climate agreement, will not be in Bologna when the communique is issued. He left the talks Sunday to attend President Donald Trump's first complete Cabinet meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, an agency spokesman said. That leaves acting EPA Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida in his place at the talks, an agency spokesman said.

Trump's Cabinet meeting was scheduled a couple of weeks ago, Deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday. EPA officials didn't say before the trip that Pruitt wouldn't be at the G-7 meeting through its conclusion.

Expectations for the Bologna talks were already low, given Trump's decision on June 1 to withdraw from the climate agreement that almost 200 nations signed in 2015. His plan to renegotiate a more favorable deal for the U.S. has been rebuffed by the leaders of Germany, France and Italy.

Germany is "stretching its hand to the U.S." on climate protection, Hendricks said. Europe's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide holds the G-20 rotating presidency, and has sought signs of consensus with Trump before of a summit in Hamburg July 7-8.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday that G-20 leaders "won't get everything we wished for" at the summit after Trump's decision to quit the Paris agreement.

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(Parkin reported from Berlin.)