Donald Trump has ordered the United States to withdraw from the world's main climate treaty and dozens of international organisations, marking one of the most dramatic rollbacks of United States participation in global institutions in decades.
In a presidential memorandum issued late Wednesday, Trump directed the US to exit the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change along with 65 other multilateral bodies tied to climate science, development, human rights and democracy promotion. The White House framed the decision as a cost-cutting measure aligned with Trump's "America First" agenda.
The decision formalises Washington's retreat from the architecture underpinning global climate cooperation and follows Trump's earlier decision to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement for a second time. The organisations affected include the IPCC, the UN Population Fund and conservation and development agencies that rely heavily on US funding and diplomatic backing.
The announcement drew sharp criticism from European leaders, climate scientists and former US officials, who warned the withdrawal weakens global efforts to confront rising temperatures and hands strategic influence to China. "This undermines decades of diplomacy and global trust," said one former senior US climate negotiator.
Despite the scale of the pullout, the practical impact may unfold gradually, depending on whether Washington blocks budgets or simply disengages. With the planet experiencing its hottest years on record, critics argue the decision leaves the world's largest economy increasingly isolated at a moment of mounting climate risk.