Washington is putting pressure on the G20 allies to reject strong wording on climate change in the summit’s final statement, despite EU opposition, AFP reported referring to its sources.

Three or four countries are under American pressure to soften these formulations, the source noted.

The source declined to name the countries targeted by Washington, although Brazil under its new president, Jair Bolsonaro and oil-producing Saudi Arabia are considered skeptics about climate change.

Climate change may be one of the most controversial issues at the summit, while Europe is categorically against any weakening of the previous G20 statements on this issue.

Washington opposes any approval of the Paris Climate Agreement, an agreement from which it plans to withdraw.

“The Americans are trying to weaken the message and to rally to their position a number of states,” the source added. “That would mean no longer 19+1 but 18+2 or 17+3... and that for us is unacceptable.”

At a meeting in Osaka on the summit sidelines on Friday, European leaders agreed that “we cannot accept a text that waters down what we got during the last two G20s and weakens the Paris accords,” the source said.

French President Emmanuel Macron has already said that removing the reference to the Paris Agreement would be a “red line” for Paris, threatening to refuse to sign the final communique.