SÉVERIN MILLET
The United States has turned its back on international climate and nature cooperation for good. On Wednesday, January 7, the Trump administration announced it had ordered the country’s withdrawal from 66 organizations, about half of which are linked to the United Nations. These include major institutions for environmental action: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its counterpart for biodiversity, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The decision threatens to further slow and hinder the fight against ecological crises.
The White House justified the move in the name of defending “national interests” against organizations deemed “globalist” and “ineffective.” It is a continuation of repeated attacks on climate policies by US president Donald Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax.”
The UNFCCC, signed in 1992, is the foundational treaty for all subsequent international climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement. It recognizes the existence of human-caused climate change and established the annual Conferences of the Parties (COPs), where nations decide how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The US is the first country to withdraw from the treaty, which has been ratified by 198 nations and approved by the US Senate. “Having the world’s largest historical emitter step away is a complete abdication of responsibility,” said Rachel Cleetus, policy director for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
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