Washington, Jan 8: President Donald Trump has ordered the United States to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 1992 treaty that underpins global climate action and the 2016 Paris Agreement, marking a major rollback of US engagement in international climate diplomacy.
The White House said Mr Trump signed a presidential memorandum arguing the convention and about 65 other international organisations and treaties — many linked to the UN — no longer serve US national interests. The administration has also announced exits from key climate bodies, including the IPCC, IRENA, the International Solar Alliance and the IUCN.
The UNFCCC was unanimously ratified by the US Senate in 1992. Under UN rules, withdrawal will take one year after formal notification, after which the US would no longer participate in annual climate talks involving nearly 200 countries. Mr Trump has already initiated a separate withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, set to take effect on January 20.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move as a rejection of global governance, while critics warned it would weaken US influence over climate policy and clean-energy investment as China and US allies press ahead with emissions cuts.
Legal experts noted that a president’s authority to withdraw unilaterally from a ratified treaty remains constitutionally unresolved. Analysts said the decision deepens perceptions of US retreat from multilateral climate action, with no indication yet that other countries will follow.
