Michael Bloomberg has said he will write a cheque for $4.5 million (£3.2 million) to cover America's financial commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. The former New York Mayor, who is also the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Action, had promised to fill the funding gap which emerged after President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement. He is now clearly living up to his word.

According to a statement released through the billionaire's Bloomberg Philanthropies Foundation, his contribution provides the UN Climate Change Secretariat with 60 per cent of the anticipated US government support this year. 

The statement added: "Bloomberg will make additional funds available to the UN Climate Change Secretariat should the US government continue to fail to pay its share of the UN climate budget in 2019. Bloomberg Philanthropies’ funding will strengthen the UN Climate Change Secretariat’s capacity to support developing countries, carry out strategic outreach to promote climate action among stakeholders such as cities, regions, business and civil society, and address institutional needs in areas such as information technology and communications."

The Paris Agreement united all nations in fighting climate change, particularly focussing on greenhouse gas emissions. It was signed in 2015, but President Trump withdrew from it in June 2017, claiming that the deal was "less about the climate and more about other countries gaining an advantage over the United States".

However, Mr Bloomberg, 76, said: “The US pledged to work with the rest of the world to fight climate change under the Paris Agreement, and that includes providing our fair share of the funding to help countries reach their goals.

"Our foundation will uphold our promise to cover any cuts to UN climate funding by the Federal government – and the American people will uphold our end of the Paris Agreement, with or without Washington.”