Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said that the US withdrawal from the Paris agreement on climate change should challenge other countries "to increase their efforts to address climate change."



Mr Annan's comments were part of a statement issued by The Elders, a group formed by Nelson Mandela to promote peace and human rights around the world.

Mr Annan said no single country could dismantle the agreement which was born out of a desire "for co-operative solutions to a global problem."

The Elders called on US businesses and state authorities to take action where the federal government has withdrawn.