\u201cI\u2019m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off,\u201d Trump said as he signed the\u00a0executive order<\/a>\u00a0on his first day back in office last January. \u201cThe United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n It is the second time the US \u2013 the world\u2019s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind only China \u2013 has withdrawn from the agreement, and the only country to do so. Months after taking office for the first time in 2017, Trump signed an order to withdraw from the pact, a move President Joe Biden promptly reversed on his first day in office in 2021.<\/p>\n 196 countries\u00a0signed\u00a0the Paris Agreement<\/a> in 2015 in a bid to strengthen the global response to the growing threat of climate change. The deal set out a framework for limiting global warming to below 1.5C or \u201cwell below 2C\u201d above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century.\u00a0Beyond this limit, experts warn that critical\u00a0tipping points<\/a>\u00a0will be breached, leading to devastating and potentially irreversible consequences for several vital Earth systems that sustain a hospitable planet.<\/p>\n \u2018Race to the Bottom\u2019<\/p>\n Wopke Hoekstra, the European Union climate commissioner, said leaving the Paris Agreement is a \u201cclear absence of leadership\u201d that will have \u201csignificant negative impacts\u201d on America\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat others will say is, \u2018How on Earth is it possible that a country with this might, with this deep a purse, and with this direct responsibility for the planet heating up, basically checks out\u2019?\u201d Hoekstra said, according to The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International\u2019s Programme Director for Climate, ESJ and Corporate Accountability, said<\/a> the US exit sets a \u201cdisturbing precedent\u201d that could trigger a \u201crace to the bottom\u201d in climate standards.<\/p>\n \u201cThe US is one of several powerful anti-climate actors but as an influential superpower, this decision, along with acts of coercion and bullying of other countries and powerful actors to double down on fossil fuels, causes particular harm and threatens to reverse more than a decade of global climate progress under the agreement,\u201d Schaaf said. <\/p>\n She added that the US still has legal obligations to protect its citizen from the rapidly worsening impacts of climate change, as set out by the International Court of Justice in its landmark advisory opinion<\/a> last year. The world\u2019s top court ruled<\/a> that governments have a whole host of legal duties arising as a result of the climate crisis, including the duty to take \u201cstringent\u201d mitigation measures, act in line with fairness and scientific evidence, and regulate private actors.<\/p>\n US Increasingly Isolated<\/p>\n Since assuming office for his second term, Trump has taken sweeping actions to reverse America\u2019s environmental agenda and withdraw from international commitments. These moves have fundamentally altered the nation\u2019s role in the global fight against climate change, a crisis the president has dismissed as a\u00a0\u201ccon job\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n A group of coal miners clap as President Donald Trump signs executive orders on the coal industry on April 8, 2025. Photo: The White House\/Flickr.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Trump ordered America\u2019s withdrawal from 66 international bodies, conventions and treaties<\/a>, including key climate treaties, that he says are \u201ccontrary to the interests\u201d of the country.<\/p>\n The list comprises 66 organizations \u2013\u00a035 non-United Nations organizations and 31 United Nations organizations \u2013\u00a0many of which conduct pivotal work on climate change. These include the\u00a0Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change<\/a>, the world\u2019s most\u00a0authoritative\u00a0scientific body on\u00a0climate change, the\u00a0International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global authority providing technical and policy advice to drive conservation, and the\u00a0UN Framework Convention on Climate Change<\/a>\u00a0(UFCCC), the primary global treaty for coordinating international climate action.<\/p>\n Full list of organizations from which the US is withdrawing (click to view)<\/p>\n Non-United Nations Organizations<\/p>\n 24\/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact;<\/p>\n Colombo Plan Council;<\/p>\n Commission for Environmental Cooperation;<\/p>\n Education Cannot Wait;<\/p>\n European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats;<\/p>\n Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories;<\/p>\n Freedom Online Coalition;<\/p>\n Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund;<\/p>\n Global Counterterrorism Forum;<\/p>\n Global Forum on Cyber Expertise;<\/p>\n Global Forum on Migration and Development;<\/p>\n Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research;<\/p>\n Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development;<\/p>\n Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;<\/p>\n Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services;<\/p>\n International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property;<\/p>\n International Cotton Advisory Committee;<\/p>\n International Development Law Organization;<\/p>\n International Energy Forum;<\/p>\n International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies;<\/p>\n International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance;<\/p>\n International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law;<\/p>\n International Lead and Zinc Study Group;<\/p>\n International Renewable Energy Agency;<\/p>\n International Solar Alliance;<\/p>\n International Tropical Timber Organization;<\/p>\n International Union for Conservation of Nature;<\/p>\n Pan American Institute of Geography and History;<\/p>\n Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation;<\/p>\n Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia;<\/p>\n Regional Cooperation Council;<\/p>\n Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st\u00a0Century;<\/p>\n Science and Technology Center in Ukraine;<\/p>\n Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme; and<\/p>\n Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.<\/p>\n United Nations (UN) Organizations<\/p>\n Department of Economic and Social Affairs;<\/p>\n UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) \u2014 Economic Commission for Africa;<\/p>\n ECOSOC \u2014 Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean;<\/p>\n ECOSOC \u2014 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific;<\/p>\n ECOSOC \u2014 Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia;<\/p>\n International Law Commission;<\/p>\n International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals;<\/p>\n International Trade Centre;<\/p>\n Office of the Special Adviser on Africa;<\/p>\n Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict;<\/p>\n Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict;<\/p>\n Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children;<\/p>\n Peacebuilding Commission;<\/p>\n Peacebuilding Fund;<\/p>\n Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;<\/p>\n UN Alliance of Civilizations;<\/p>\n UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries;<\/p>\n UN Conference on Trade and Development;<\/p>\n UN Democracy Fund;<\/p>\n UN Energy;<\/p>\n UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women;<\/p>\n UN Framework Convention on Climate Change;<\/p>\n UN Human Settlements Programme;<\/p>\n UN Institute for Training and Research;<\/p>\n UN Oceans;<\/p>\n UN Population Fund;<\/p>\n UN Register of Conventional Arms;<\/p>\n UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination;<\/p>\n UN System Staff College;<\/p>\n UN Water<\/p>\n UN University<\/p>\n While criticizing the move, experts believe the retreat will hurt America the most<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cOther nations understand the UNFCCC\u2019s 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,\u201d said David Widawsky, Director of the World Resources Institute US.<\/p>\n More on the topic: One Year of Trump: How the US Reversed Climate Progress, at Home and Abroad<\/a><\/p>\n Energy Transition Is \u2018Unstoppable\u2019<\/p>\n Despite America\u2019s retreat, the transition to clean energy is \u201cunstoppable\u201d as countries recognize the \u201ccolossal\u201d benefits it presents, UN climate chief Simon Stiell said last year<\/a>. <\/p>\n Reacting to Trump\u2019s announcement that the US was leaving the Paris Agreement, Stiell said countries were \u201calready stepping into their place to \u201creap the massive rewards\u201d of transitioning to cleaner forms of energy, such as new jobs, reduced pollution and associated health costs, economic growth, and more affordable energy.<\/p>\n \u201cA country may step back \u2013 but others are already stepping into their place to seize that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell speaks during the Opening of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in the Brazilian Amazon. Photo: UN Climate Change\/Kiara Worth via Flickr.<\/p>\n A report<\/a> presented at COP30 last November found that countries\u2019 climate pledges put us on track to cut emissions by 12% in the next 10 years<\/a>. \u2060Without the Paris Agreement, we would be looking at an increase of emissions between 20-48% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels, the report also said.<\/p>\n More on the topic: Energy Transition: Where Are We Headed in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\n Featured image: The White House\/Flickr.<\/p>\n This story is funded by readers like you<\/p>\n Our non-profit newsroom provides climate coverage free of charge and advertising. Your one-off or monthly donations play a crucial role in supporting our operations, expanding our reach, and maintaining our editorial independence.<\/p>\n About EO<\/a> | Mission Statement<\/a> | Impact & Reach<\/a> | Write for us<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1024-x-683-px-16.jpg\"\/)
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