The United States' partners in the G7 club of wealthy democracies vowed today to press ahead with efforts to contain devastating climate change despite a rift caused by the American withdrawal from the Paris accord on cutting carbon emissions.<br/>'<br/>Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said after the first day of a two-day gathering of G7 environmental chiefs in the northern Italian city of Bologna that Italy and the overwhelming majority of countries regard Paris as irreversible and non-negotiable. <br/>'<br/>Erik Solheim, head of the UN Environment Programme, said Sunday's talks had underlined the "absolute determination" of the other six G7 countries to push ahead "whatever happens in the White House."''<br/>'<br/>Trump announced at the start of this month that the US would not abide by the 2015 Paris agreement and would seek to renegotiate terms he denounced as unfairly damaging to the American economy and overly generous to India and China.<br/>'<br/>Trump said Washington would not be bound by the targets on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases set down in Paris, and will cut funding for developing countries affected by climate change.'