U.S. withdrawal from the UN climate treaty marks a turning point
President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of the United States from the UN climate treaty framework and from dozens of international organizations. The decision formally pulls Washington out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, the cornerstone of global climate governance, as well as from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, which provides the scientific foundation for international climate action.
Climate scientists have described the decision to leave the UNFCCC as “embarrassing.” In total, the United States is set to exit 66 international organizations and agreements, some focused on climate and the environment, others on poverty reduction or the defense of democratic institutions.
What the UN climate treaty is and why it matters
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and entered into force on March 21, 1994. It has been ratified by 195 countries, known as parties to the Convention. Over the past three decades, UNFCCC summits have shaped the global response to climate change, with mixed results.
Crucially, the UN climate treaty provided the legal foundation for the Paris Agreement, the 2015 pact aimed at keeping global temperature increases within relatively safe limits for the planet.
Trump’s memorandum and the exit from global agreements
In a social media statement, the White House confirmed that Trump signed a memorandum formally withdrawing the United States from the UNFCCC and 65 other international treaties and organizations. According to the President, these frameworks are “no longer serving American interests.” Nearly half of the entities involved are part of the United Nations system.
In February 2025, the administration instructed the State Department to review U.S. participation in all international agreements and organizations, setting a 180 day deadline that expired in August 2025. After reviewing the Secretary of State’s report, Trump approved the withdrawal from 66 treaties and bodies.
“What began as a pragmatic framework for peace and cooperation has evolved into a sprawling architecture of global governance, often driven by progressive ideology and detached from national interests,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The U.S. also leaves the IPCC and other climate bodies
The Trump administration has also declared its intention to withdraw from the IPCC, the United Nations’ leading scientific body on climate change, along with several major international environmental organizations. These include the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Solar Alliance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from the UN climate treaty
Climate advocates were already alarmed when Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement for a second time in early 2025, shortly after taking office. This latest move is seen as even more consequential.
“Leaving the UNFCCC is an order of magnitude more serious than exiting the Paris Agreement,” Jean Su, director of energy justice at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Axios. “It removes the United States entirely from the global climate framework and negotiations.”
The decision carries significant weight because the United States is the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and plays a critical role in providing scientific support for global climate efforts. Trump’s move is therefore expected to slow international progress on addressing climate change.
The announcement further underscores the international isolation of the United States. Critics argue that the decision is not only dangerous for global climate stability but also counterproductive for the U.S. economy. China, Washington’s main strategic rival, already dominates clean energy technologies, while other countries, including those in the European Union, continue to push, despite internal divisions, for lower emissions and expanded renewable energy deployment.
John Kerry, former U.S. climate envoy under the Biden administration, called the withdrawal “a gift to China and a get out of jail free card for polluters seeking to avoid accountability.” Legal experts also warn that leaving the UN climate treaty framework could make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a future administration to rejoin without Senate approval.