(AFP) – The United Nations confirmed Tuesday it had received notification from Washington of its withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement, a key campaign pledge of US President Donald Trump. On his first day back in the White House, Trump announced the United States would leave the accord, which is managed by the UN climate change body. It brings together almost all the world’s nations and aims to keep global average temperature rise below a critical threshold.
“I can confirm to you that the United States has notified the secretary-general, in his capacity as a depository, of its withdrawal on January 27 of this year from the Paris agreement,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres. “According to Article 28, paragraph two, of the Paris agreement, the withdrawal of the United States will take effect on January 27, 2026.”
The move comes as global average temperatures over the past two years surpassed the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold for the first time, underscoring the urgency of climate action. Trump previously withdrew the United States from the Paris accord during his first term. Despite this, the agreement — adopted in 2015 by 195 parties to curb greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change — appears poised to endure.
Washington typically provides 22 percent of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat’s budget, with the body’s operating costs for 2024-2025 projected at $96.5 million. Billionaire entrepreneur Michael Bloomberg has announced that his foundation will step in to meet the shortfall. The secretariat is tasked with supporting the global response to climate threats and organizes international climate conferences, the next of which will be COP30 held in Brazil in November.
Dujarric told a media briefing that “we reaffirm our commitment to the Paris agreement and support all effective efforts to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.” Since coming back to office, Trump has also declared a “national energy emergency” to expand drilling in the world’s top oil and gas producer, said he would scrap vehicle emissions standards, and vowed to halt offshore wind farms.
Critics warn the Paris withdrawal undermines global cooperation on reducing fossil fuel use and could embolden major polluters like China and India to weaken their commitments, while Argentina, under libertarian President Javier Milei, has also said it is “reevaluating” its participation.
© 2024 AFP
