Washington, D.C. — The United States has announced a sweeping withdrawal from multiple international climate and global governance bodies, marking a significant retreat from decades of multilateral cooperation. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. will exit up to 66 international organizations and treaties, including core climate institutions such as the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—both central to global climate policy and scientific collaboration.
This move makes the U.S. the first country to leave the UNFCCC, the 1992 treaty that underpins the annual global climate negotiations and the Paris Agreement, from which the U.S. has also formally withdrawn for a second time. Washington’s decision reflects the administration’s stance that many international bodies no longer align with what it calls national interests and sovereignty priorities.
Critics, including U.N. officials and environmental organizations, have condemned the decision as a major setback for global climate efforts, arguing it weakens international cooperation at a time when climate disasters are intensifying and emissions reductions are urgently needed. Some legal experts also question whether the executive branch can unilaterally withdraw from Senate-ratified treaties.
Supporters of the move argue it redirects U.S. resources toward domestic priorities and more selective global engagement, but the shift has already sparked worldwide debate over the future of collective action on climate change.
