The Donald Trump administration on Friday officially notified the United Nations about the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. The earliest date for the US to complete the process of withdrawal from the agreement is November 4, 2020, the time of the next US Presidential election, according to BBC.

However, the US pledged to be committed to the issue of climate change. “The United States supports a balanced approach to climate policy that lowers emissions while promoting economic growth and ensuring energy security,” the State Department said in a statement.

It said that the US would continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and work with other countries to help them access and use fossil fuels more efficiently. The statement added that the US would continue to participate in other climate change negotiations to protect its own interests, and to ensure that its options remain open.

In June, Trump had announced that his country had pulled out of the non-binding Paris climate agreement. He had vowed to withdraw from the Paris Accord during his presidential election campaign. “I was elected by the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” he had said during an address. World leaders, including the heads of Italy, Germany, Britain, Canada, Australia and France, had condemned the decision.

In December 2015, 195 countries had come together and signed the Paris Accord, which seeks to prevent global temperatures from rising below 2 degrees Celsius, to prevent extreme weather climates like higher sea levels, changes in weather patterns, food and water crises and other adverse effects.