Experts say withdrawing from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is a "strategic blunder" for the US.
Donald Trump has been accused of “sinking to a new low” after ordering the US to withdraw from the United Nations’ flagship climate treaty.
In a Presidential Memorandum signed yesterday (7 January), the POTUS says it is “contrary to the interests of the US” to remain a member of, participate in, or provide support to more than 60 international organisations, treaties, and conventions. Many of these agencies, commissions and advisory panels focus on climate change, migration and labour.
The move follows Trump’s continuing efforts to boost polluting fossil fuels while stalling progress on clean energy projects. Last month, the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed any mention of fossil fuels – the main driver of global warming – from its popular online page explaining the causes of climate change.
Trump withdraws from UN climate treaty
The Trump administration’s boldest withdrawal is from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This landmark treaty was adopted in 1992 by almost 200 nations, and is often seen as the parent of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which the US has already pulled out of.
It aims to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent “dangerous human interference with the climate system”. However, the UNFCCC also puts an onus on developed countries to take the lead.
This means the US agreed to support climate change activities in developing countries by providing financial support for adaptation that is “above and beyond any financial assistance they already provide to these countries”.
What other organisations has the US withdrawn from?
The administration has already axed its support for international agencies like the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO. Now, it has cut ties with 66 organisations, many of which work in sectors Trump has described as setting a “woke” agenda.
This includes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s leading authority on climate science. The IPCC provides governments at all levels with scientific information which they can use to develop climate policies.
IPCC reports are also a key input into international climate negotiations, helping push global progress. Experts warn that stepping away from the panel risks weakening scientific guardrails that protect the public from disinformation, stalled progress and “reckless decision-making”.
Other groups on the administration’s list include UN Oceans, 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and the International Renewable Energy Agency.
A ‘new low’ for Trump
The move sparked outrage from organisations and climate scientists around the world, with many arguing it will make the world “far more unsafe”.
The Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) Dr Rachel Cleetus says withdrawing from the bedrock treaty on climate change is a “new low” for Trump – one that shows the administration is tapping into “authoritarianism” and “anti-science” at the sacrifice of its people’s well-being.
“But, forward-looking US states and the rest of the world recognise that devastating and costly climate impacts are mounting rapidly, and collective global action remains the only viable path to secure a livable future for our children and grandchildren,” she adds.
“Withdrawal from the global climate convention will only serve to further isolate the United States and diminish its standing in the world following a spate of deplorable actions that have already sent our nation’s credibility plummeting, jeopardised ties with some of our closest historical allies, and made the world far more unsafe.”
Dr Cleetus argues that the administration is “pandering to fossil fuel polluters” – a concern that has recently grown following the US taking control of Venezuela and its oil reserves.
What happens next?
David Widawsky, director of the World Resources Institute, which aims to develop low-carbon and resilient economies, argues that pulling out of the UNFCC is a “strategic blunder” that gives away American advantage for nothing in return.
“The 30-year-old agreement is the foundation of international climate cooperation,” Widawsky says. “Walking away doesn’t just put America on the sidelines– it takes the US out of the arena completely.”
Looking forward, Widawsky predicts that American communities and businesses will lose economic ground as other countries capture the jobs, wealth and trade created by the booming clean-energy economy.
In 2023, 1.6 million people in the EU were employed in the renewable energy industry. This number is set to soar as solar and wind become the EU’s largest electricity source.
“Despite [Trump’s] action, global climate diplomacy will not falter,” Widawsky adds.
“Other nations understand the UNFCCC’s irreplaceable role in driving cooperation and advancing climate solutions the world urgently needs. When countries work together on climate, it saves lives, creates jobs, strengthens economic stability, and builds a more prosperous future.”
The door still 'open' for the US
In a statement sent to Euronews Green, Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UNFCCC, says the "doors remain open" for the US to reenter in the future.
"While all other nations are stepping forward together, this latest step back from global leadership, climate cooperation and science can only harm the US economy, jobs and living standards, as wildfires, floods, mega-storms and droughts get rapidly worse," he adds.
"It is a colossal own goal which will leave the US less secure and less prosperous. It will mean less affordable energy, food, transport and insurance for American households and businesses, as renewables keep getting cheaper than fossil fuels, as climate-driven disasters hit American crops, businesses and infrastructure harder each year, and as oil, coal and gas volatility drives more conflicts, regional instability and forced migration."
The UNFCCC warns that the move will see less American manufacturing jobs, while every other major economy ramps up its clean energy investments. "It's clear this is the only way to protect every nation from record-breaking global heating and its brutal impacts on every economy and population," Stiell says.
