US Withdrawal from Paris Agreement: What It Means for the World
- Trump's Withdrawal from Paris Agreement – Prioritizing economic growth over climate action, Trump pulls the U.S. out, weakening global climate commitments.
- Impact on Global Climate Cooperation – The decision hampers international efforts, making it harder for developing nations to secure funding for emission reductions.
- Environmental & Political Backlash – Activists, scientists, and global leaders condemn the move, warning of worsening climate crises and increased global inequities.
On January 20, just days after taking office, newly elected President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement—the world’s most significant effort to combat rising temperatures. This is not the first time he has taken such action; in 2017, his administration made the same move. The decision reflects his administration’s stance on prioritizing economic growth over environmental concerns.
This move comes at a time when climate patterns are shifting drastically, with rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and increasing environmental risks threatening communities worldwide. This decision not only undermines global climate efforts but also raises a critical question—can the world afford to backtrack on climate commitments when the consequences of inaction are becoming increasingly irreversible?
What is Paris Agreement?
The global agreement, signed in 2015 and enacted on November 4, 2016, commits 189 countries to limiting the rise in global temperatures to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and enhancing resilience against climate change. Unlike past climate treaties, the Paris Agreement relies on voluntary national targets, allowing countries to set their own emissions reduction goals. The only binding obligation is transparency, requiring nations to report their progress accurately.
Furthermore, Trump’s team has indicated that this withdrawal could extend even further, with discussions about completely exiting the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). As the foundational framework for global climate cooperation, the UNFCCC aims to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations ‘at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system.This decision could establish a worrisome precedent, prompting other nations to abandon their climate commitments and sparking a chain reaction that jeopardizes global progress.
Trump stance and its implications
Under President Trump, the US became the world’s biggest producer of petroleum. A second Trump administration promises even worse impacts upon the planet and communities hit the hardest by the climate crisis. The U.S. is the largest oil producer and oil consumer, accounting for almost one-quarter of global production and more than 20 percent of consumption in 2022. Canada ranks as the fourth-largest oil producer and the ninth-largest consumer, with the highest per-capita CO2 emissions globally. Trump made his priorities clear in his inaugural address, declaring, “We will drill, baby, drill,” “We will drill, baby, drill,” The new president also vowed the US would embark on a new age of oil and gas exploration.
Trump’s stance reflects his administration’s resolve to expand fossil-fuel extraction and production while steering away from clean-energy innovations such as electric vehicles and wind power. It is also noticeable that ahead of the inauguration, major American and Canadian banks withdrew from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) originally led by Canada’s Mark Carney as the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Climate Action.
Response
In 2017, Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement drew sharp criticism from numerous countries, including many of its closest allies. Similarly, his latest withdrawal announcement has once again sparked global outrage; Activists, scientists, and Democratic officials denounced the move, arguing that it would worsen the climate crisis.
Ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, climate activists in London sent a clear and ominous message. A massive 100-meter-long banner reading “Trump: Climate Genocide” was unfurled opposite the UK Parliament, a stark warning of the environmental consequences of his policies. Led by veteran activist Phil Thornhill, the demonstration underscored global concerns over Trump’s climate stance, particularly his renewed push to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement.
In response to Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the Union of Concerned Scientists condemned the move, saying, “President Trump is choosing to begin his term pandering to the fossil fuel industry and its allies,” “His disgraceful and destructive decision is an ominous harbinger of what people in the United States should expect from him and his anti-science cabinet. Similarly, China voiced its concern, with Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning emphasizing “China is concerned about the U.S. announcement that it will withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Climate change is a common challenge facing all of humanity. No country can stay out of it, and no country can be immune to it.”
How it would affect global cooperation on climate change
Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement poses a significant challenge to international efforts aimed at combating climate change. Trump’s decision to once again pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement signals a retreat from global cooperation at a time when unified action is more crucial than ever.
Without U.S. leadership, the road ahead for the Paris Agreement becomes even steeper. This year, member states are set to submit updated national climate plans, outlining their commitments to 2035 greenhouse gas reduction targets. However, securing ambitious pledges—especially from developing nations—becomes far more difficult in the absence of a firm U.S. commitment, raising concerns about the agreement’s long-term effectiveness.
This challenge is further compounded by the financial constraints faced by developing nations. Transitioning to low-emission economies requires substantial international funding, yet wealthy nations have long fallen short on their climate finance commitments. To uphold the Paris Agreement’s goals, developed countries must follow through on the pledge made in Baku last year—mobilizing at least $300 billion annually by 2035 to support climate action in poorer nations. Without this financial backing, the already fragile trust in global climate cooperation risks further erosion.
Conclusion
The Global South understands all too well the borderless nature of climate change. With limited resources to combat this existential threat on their own, these nations depend on major global players to drive meaningful reforms that could curb the planet’s escalating temperatures. Without decisive action from the world’s largest economies, the burden of climate inaction will fall disproportionately on those least equipped to handle its consequences.
Like any nation, the U.S. has the right to exit international agreements. However, as the world’s largest economy and a top carbon emitter, its decision to walk away from the Paris Agreement signals a retreat from collective responsibility at a time when global action is more urgent than ever. The rise in extreme weather events, from devastating wildfires in California to record-breaking floods worldwide, is a stark reminder of the accelerating climate crisis. With the Global South bearing the brunt of these disasters, the U.S.’s withdrawal risks deepening climate inequities and undermining long-term global efforts to combat this existential threat.
The author holds a degree in International Relations with a keen interest in climate security and geopolitics. Her work has been published in *The Diplomat*.
