The United States has formally begun pulling out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a foundational treaty that has governed global climate diplomacy for more than three decades, part of a broader decision to exit a sweeping list of international organizations.
The move, announced by the White House late on January 7, marks the first time any nation has initiated withdrawal from the treaty that underpins the landmark Paris Agreement.
President Donald Trump’s memorandum directs U.S. foreign policy agencies to take immediate steps to leave 66 international bodies and conventions deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States,” according to a White House statement.
Among the listed entities is the UNFCCC, the pact adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and ratified by the U.S. Senate that has served as the framework for nearly two decades of climate negotiations, including the Paris accord in 2015.
“We will not continue expending resources, diplomatic capital, and the legitimizing weight of our participation in institutions that are irrelevant to or in conflict with our interests,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “We seek cooperation where it serves our people and will stand firm where it does not.
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The UNFCCC does not mandate specific cuts to fossil fuel use or emissions, instead aiming to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a certain level, while also requiring countries to submit annual emissions inventories—a step the Trump administration notably failed to take this year.
Supporters of the decision frame it as an assertion of national sovereignty and a refocusing of resources on U.S. interests, though opponents argue it leaves the world’s second-largest historical emitter isolated from critical multilateral efforts as climate impacts worsen.
Former Secretary of State and former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry criticized the decision as predictable but harmful to U.S. global standing, saying it amounted to “a gift to China and a get out of jail free card to countries and polluters who want to avoid responsibility,” as reported by CNN.
The White House also announced the U.S. will depart from other climate-related bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a leading scientific authority on global warming, and agencies addressing renewable energy and environmental cooperation.
Although the president is unlikely to be able to prevent U.S. scientists from contributing to IPCC reports, the decision could still have consequences for federal researchers who would otherwise take part.
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The withdrawal from the climate convention follows Trump’s earlier decision to quit the Paris Agreement shortly after taking office, echoing a similar exit during his first term that was subsequently reversed by his successor.
Legal experts say there is ambiguity in the U.S. Constitution about whether a president can unilaterally withdraw from a Senate-ratified treaty, raising the possibility of future court challenges.
Critics warn that stepping away from these institutions could weaken global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and diminish American influence in shaping climate policy.
The move could also lead other countries to reconsider their engagement with the UN climate framework, potentially undermining global climate efforts beyond the United States.
