The United States has begun withdrawing from major international climate agreements and institutions in early 2026 under President Donald Trump’s administration, reshaping its role in global climate governance. A presidential memorandum signed on 7 January directs the U.S. to end participation in more than 60 international organisations, conventions, and treaties deemed “contrary” to national interests, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Reuters and Al Jazeera report the U.S. will cease engagement and funding in these forums, which have historically underpinned cooperative climate action.
The withdrawal comes as broader federal climate policies have shifted away from prior regulatory frameworks, with Environmental Protection Agency changes affecting air quality and pollution assessments. AP analysis and Reuters data indicate U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose 2.4 % in 2025, partly driven by energy demand sectors, though policy rollbacks enacted in 2026 may influence future trends. The U.S. absence from these multilateral bodies and treaties removes its formal voice in key climate science assessments and emissions dialogue, a move that experts and international counterparts say could weaken coordinated global efforts to address warming and complicate scientific collaboration and policy alignment moving forward.
Why it matters
The U.S. withdrawal from central climate treaties and scientific bodies alters global climate cooperation and may reduce influence over emissions strategy and data sharing.
Source Attribution
Source: Associated Press
