U.S. withdrawal from UN climate treaty and global climate science assessment body

The Hindu
The Hindu
1h ago
President Donald Trump directed the United States to withdraw from the UNFCCC and the IPCC as part of a broader pullback from the United Nations system, according to the White House.
U.S. withdrawal from UN climate treaty and global climate science assessment body
A What happened
President Donald Trump is withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the White House said. A White House memorandum listed 66 international organizations as “contrary to the interests of the United States.” The memo also directed withdrawal from other climate-related organizations including the International Renewable Energy Agency, UN Oceans, and UN Water. The memorandum also named bodies including UNFPA and UNCTAD, and Trump criticized the UN in a September General Assembly speech.
★

Key insights

  • 1

    Legal ambiguity over treaty withdrawal: The U.S. Constitution is silent on the process for withdrawing from treaties, and this ambiguity could invite legal challenges.

  • 2

    UNFCCC exit could complicate future reentry: Exiting the underlying UNFCCC treaty could introduce additional legal uncertainty around any future U.S. effort to rejoin.

  • 3

    Administration stance on climate science: Trump has scorned the scientific consensus that human activity is warming the planet and called climate science a “hoax” at a UN summit last September.

Takeaways

The White House says the United States is leaving the UNFCCC and the IPCC and is reducing participation in multiple UN-linked organizations through a memorandum listing 66 bodies as contrary to U.S. interests.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation International Affairs Diplomacy Climate & Environment Climate Change

Stay ahead with OwlBrief

Daily briefs that distill the world’s important events — clear, verified, and designed for understanding.

Create Free Account Sign In

Newsletter

Get OwlBrief in your inbox

A fast, high-signal digest of the day’s most important events — plus the context that makes them make sense.

Quick to read. Useful all day.