Michael Bloomberg offers to pay $15 million deficit left by Trump's decision on Paris Climate agreement

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's charity organization has pledged to donate $15 million to the U.N.'s climate secretariat, which will plug a big hole left after the Trump administration decided to withdraw from the Paris climate accord this week.

The Washington Examiner reports that Bloomberg's decision to have his philanthropic groups donate to the U.N. is part of a broader effort to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions without the help of the American federal government.

"Americans are not walking away from the Paris Climate Agreement," Bloomberg said. "Just the opposite — we are forging ahead. Mayors, governors, and business leaders from both political parties are signing on to to a statement of support that we will submit to the U.N. — and together, we will reach the emission reduction goals the United States made in Paris in 2015."

Bloomberg also called for Americans to lead an effort "from the bottom up," while also noting that "there isn't anything Washington can do to stop us."

So far, Bloomberg has recruited the governors of California, Washington and New York to pledge to help meet the carbon emissions reductions goals set out by the Paris agreement.