By Abbas Nazil
The United States has commenced the process of withdrawing from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a foundational global climate treaty, under a directive issued by the Trump administration, marking the first time any country has attempted to leave the agreement.
The move, outlined in a White House memorandum and confirmed through official statements, would remove the US from the main international framework guiding global climate negotiations and cooperation.
If completed, the decision would exclude the United States from future UN climate talks and is expected to strain relations with allies who view climate action as a diplomatic and economic priority.
The UNFCCC, which the US joined in 1992 and which was ratified by the Senate during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, establishes a global commitment to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.
While the treaty itself does not mandate specific emissions cuts, it created the structure for ongoing negotiations and accountability among member states.
Major international climate agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol in 1995 and the Paris Agreement in 2015, were negotiated under the UNFCCC framework.
The agreement also requires participating countries to submit annual inventories of their greenhouse gas emissions, a requirement the Trump administration reportedly failed to meet this year.
The withdrawal is part of a broader retreat from international institutions, with the administration directing the US to exit 66 global organizations it claims no longer align with national interests.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States would no longer devote resources or political legitimacy to institutions it views as conflicting with American priorities.
Former Secretary of State and US climate envoy John Kerry sharply criticized the move, warning it would weaken US global influence and benefit countries and industries seeking to avoid climate responsibility.
President Donald Trump had already withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement for a second time on his first day back in office, signaling a continued rejection of multilateral climate commitments.
Environmental groups note that nearly every country in the world is a member of the UNFCCC, making the US withdrawal unprecedented.
Legal experts point out that because the Senate ratified the treaty, it remains unclear whether a president can unilaterally withdraw without congressional approval.
However, the current Republican majority in Congress is widely expected to support the administration’s position if legislative action becomes necessary.
A successful withdrawal would prevent the US from formally participating in annual UN climate summits and could complicate future efforts by other administrations to rejoin global climate agreements.
It may also prompt other nations to reassess their own commitments, potentially undermining decades of international climate cooperation.
The administration’s review also included withdrawal from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scientific body that produces influential assessments on global warming.
Although US scientists may still participate individually, the decision could limit federal involvement and reduce American influence over future climate science reports.
The list of exits further includes several UN agencies and non-UN organizations spanning environmental, scientific, and humanitarian fields.
The Trump administration has previously withdrawn the United States from institutions such as the World Health Organization, reinforcing its broader skepticism toward multilateral governance.