US exits UN climate treaty, per Trump order

By SUZANNE DOWNING

President Donald Trump announced in a presidential memo today that the United States will withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 1992 treaty that is the guide for nearly all global climate negotiations, including the Paris Agreement.

The decision was formalized through a presidential memorandum directing the United States to exit 66 international organizations and treaties that the administration says no longer serve US interests. The White House cited concerns that many of the bodies promote policies “contrary to U.S. priorities” or impose obligations viewed as burdensome, ineffective, or misaligned with national sovereignty.

The UNFCCC withdrawal places the United States outside the foundational framework governing international climate cooperation. Nearly every nation in the world is a party to the convention, making the US the first and only country to formally withdraw from it. The move also affects participation in related climate bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which coordinates international scientific assessments on climate change.

The announcement follows a separate action taken earlier this year. On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump initiated a US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, which operates under the UNFCCC. That withdrawal takes effect one year later, later this month, further reducing US involvement in global emissions reduction commitments, renewable energy coordination, and climate adaptation efforts.

According to the memorandum, the withdrawals stem from a review ordered under Executive Order 14199, issued on Feb. 4, 2025. The order directed the Secretary of State to examine US participation in international organizations and treaties and determine which were inconsistent with American interests. After reviewing the findings and consulting with Cabinet members, Trump ordered all federal agencies to take immediate steps to cease participation in or funding of the listed organizations, to the extent permitted by law.

The administration characterized the actions as part of a broader recalibration away from multilateral frameworks and toward what it described as a national-interest-first approach to foreign policy.

Under the memorandum, the United States will withdraw from the following non-United Nations organizations:

• 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
• Colombo Plan Council
• Commission for Environmental Cooperation
• Education Cannot Wait
• European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
• Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories
• Freedom Online Coalition
• Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund
• Global Counterterrorism Forum
• Global Forum on Cyber Expertise
• Global Forum on Migration and Development
• Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
• Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
• International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
• International Cotton Advisory Committee
• International Development Law Organization
• International Energy Forum
• International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
• International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
• International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law
• International Lead and Zinc Study Group
• International Renewable Energy Agency
• International Solar Alliance
• International Tropical Timber Organization
• International Union for Conservation of Nature
• Pan American Institute of Geography and History
• Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation
• Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia
• Regional Cooperation Council
• Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
• Science and Technology Center in Ukraine
• Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
• Venice Commission of the Council of Europe

The memorandum also directs withdrawal from the following United Nations entities and bodies:

• UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• UN Economic and Social Council — Economic Commission for Africa
• UN Economic and Social Council — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
• UN Economic and Social Council — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• UN Economic and Social Council — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
• International Law Commission
• International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
• International Trade Centre
• Office of the Special Adviser on Africa
• Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict
• Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
• Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
• Peacebuilding Commission
• Peacebuilding Fund
• Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
• UN Alliance of Civilizations
• UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries
• UN Conference on Trade and Development
• UN Democracy Fund
• UN Energy
• UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
• UN Human Settlements Programme
• UN Institute for Training and Research
• UN Oceans
• UN Population Fund
• UN Register of Conventional Arms
• UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination
• UN System Staff College
• UN Water
• UN University

The memorandum notes that the review of US participation in additional international organizations and agreements remains ongoing.