President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of the United States from a key international climate agreement, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the European Union and climate advocates worldwide.
The White House confirmed on Wednesday that the US would exit 66 global organizations and treaties about half of them linked to the United Nations describing them as “contrary to the interests of the United States.” Chief among the withdrawals is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the foundational treaty that supports all major international climate accords.
Adopted in 1992, the UNFCCC commits nations to cooperate in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the growing impacts of climate change. It also provides the framework for annual UN climate summits and global climate negotiations.
Reacting to the decision, European Union climate chief Wopke Hoekstra described the move as “regrettable and unfortunate,” stressing that the UNFCCC remains central to global climate action.
“The UNFCCC underpins global climate action and unites nations in the collective fight against the climate crisis,” Hoekstra said in a LinkedIn post. “We will unequivocally continue to support international climate research and international cooperation.”
Despite the US withdrawal, Hoekstra reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to tackling climate change in partnership with other countries.
President Trump, who has prioritized fossil fuel expansion in his domestic policies, has repeatedly dismissed the scientific consensus on climate change, branding it a “hoax.” Reflecting this stance, the US sent no official delegation to the most recent UN climate summit held in Brazil last November under the UNFCCC framework.
EU Vice-President for the Clean Transition, Teresa Ribera, also condemned the decision, accusing the Trump administration of indifference to environmental protection, public health, and the human suffering linked to climate change.
The move further widens the divide between the United States and its traditional allies on climate policy, as global efforts to combat rising temperatures continue without one of the world’s largest economies and emitters.
