Introduction to the Withdrawal
President Trump on Wednesday withdrew the United States from 66 international organizations and treaties, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Background on the Withdrawal Decision
In a presidential memorandum, Trump said it is “contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to” the organizations, which also include groups geared toward education, economic development, cybersecurity and human rights issues, among others. He directed all executive departments and agencies to take steps to “effectuate the withdrawal” of the U.S. from the organizations as soon as possible.
Impact on Climate Change Efforts
While the president has already announced a withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — an international treaty to limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change — the latest move will further isolate the nation at a critical moment, experts said. The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is a global treaty created in 1992 and signed by nearly 200 countries with the aim of addressing climate change through coordinated international action, including limiting planet-warming greenhouse gases.
Reaction to the Withdrawal
Withdrawing from the U.N. Framework Convention is a “shortsighted, embarrassing, and foolish decision,” said Gina McCarthy, a former director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who also served as the first White House national climate advisor, in a statement. “As the only country in the world not a part of the UNFCCC treaty, the Trump administration is throwing away decades of U.S. climate change leadership and global collaboration,” said McCarthy, who is now chair of the America is All In climate coalition.
Strategic Implications
David Widawsky, director of the World Resources Institute, called the move a “strategic blunder that gives away American advantage for nothing in return.” “The 30-year-old agreement is the foundation of international climate cooperation. Walking away doesn’t just put America on the sidelines — it takes the U.S. out of the arena entirely,” Widawsky said.
Withdrawal from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Trump on Wednesday also withdrew the U.S. from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading global scientific body studying global warming. Its major assessments published every six or seven years help inform climate policy around the world. Pulling the U.S. out of the IPCC won’t prevent individual U.S. scientists from contributing, but the nation as a whole will no longer be able to help guide the scientific assessments, said Delta Merner, associate accountability campaign director for the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who has attended previous IPCC meetings.
Implications for Scientific Research and Climate Action
“Walking away doesn’t make the science disappear, it only leaves people across the United States, policymakers and businesses flying in the dark at the very moment when credible climate information is most urgently needed,” Merner said. “This is a clear attempt to weaken scientific guardrails that protect the public from disinformation, delay and reckless decision-making. Such a move will make it easier for fossil fuel interests to distort the facts while frontline communities pay the price.”
Trump’s Energy Policy and Donations
Trump, who received substantial donations from oil and gas companies during his 2024 presidential campaign, has heavily promoted the development of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. He has also taken several steps to limit scientific research and climate action in the U.S., including moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world’s leading climate and weather research institutions located in Boulder, Colo.
Other Withdrawn Organizations
Other climate, environment and energy groups Trump withdrew from on Wednesday include the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Solar Alliance, the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, among many others.
Historical Precedent
But the United States is the first nation to walk away from the U.N. Framework Convention, according to Manish Bapna, president and chief executive of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council. “President Trump pulls the United States out of the UNFCCC at the nation’s peril,” Bapna said. “It is not only self-defeating to let other countries write the global rules of the road for the inevitable transition to clean energy, but also to skip out on trillions of dollars in investment, jobs, lower energy costs and new markets for American clean technologies.”
Conclusion
The withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organizations and treaties, including major climate groups, marks a significant shift in the country’s approach to global cooperation and climate change. This move is expected to have far-reaching consequences, both domestically and internationally, and has been widely criticized by experts and leaders in the field.
FAQs
Q: What organizations did the U.S. withdraw from?
A: The U.S. withdrew from 66 international organizations and treaties, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Q: Why did the U.S. withdraw from these organizations?
A: The presidential memorandum stated that it is “contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to” these organizations.
Q: What are the implications of this withdrawal?
A: The withdrawal is expected to further isolate the U.S. at a critical moment, undermine global climate cooperation, and have significant consequences for scientific research and climate action.
Q: How will this affect the U.S. economy and environment?
A: The withdrawal is expected to have negative impacts on the U.S. economy and environment, including missed opportunities for investment, jobs, and clean energy development.
Q: What is the international reaction to this withdrawal?
A: The move has been widely criticized by experts and leaders in the field, with many expressing concern about the implications for global climate cooperation and the U.S.’s role in addressing climate change.
