The United States officially left the Paris Agreement on climate change today, marking its second withdrawal from the international accord.
This latest exit follows Donald Trump’s re-election and his January 2025 decree notifying the UN of his intention to leave the treaty. According to the agreement’s rules, the departure formally takes effect one year after notification, making 27 January 2026 the official date. However, the United States had already largely disengaged from climate negotiations, missing major events such as the COP30 summit held in Belém last November.
The withdrawal has broader consequences for global climate efforts. In addition to leaving the Paris Agreement, the US has also decided to exit 66 international organisations, including 31 linked to the United Nations. These include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which serves as the foundation for all global climate treaties. Donald Trump has justified these moves by claiming these entities “no longer serve American interests.”
Research from Climate Action Tracker, a collaboration between Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute, estimates that the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will add 0.1°C to global warming. Current policies worldwide are already on track to increase temperatures by 2.6°C by the end of the century, far exceeding global targets.
Despite the US departure, nearly all nations remain committed to the Paris Agreement. This includes countries governed by leaders ideologically aligned with Trump, such as Argentina under Javier Milei. While international climate cooperation faces hurdles, particularly in funding, North-South dialogue, and geopolitical tensions, events like the COP30 summit demonstrate its resilience.
Adopted by 196 countries and the European Union during COP21 in Paris in December 2015, the Paris Agreement entered into force in November 2016. It is a legally binding treaty aimed at combating climate change.
The accord’s main goal is to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
