Trump Signs Executive Order To Withdraw US From Paris Climate Change Accord

In a dramatic and controversial move on his first full day in office, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on Monday to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, making the country one of just four nations—alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen—that are not part of the global pact aimed at combating climate change.

The decision marks a significant reversal in US climate policy, aligning with Trump’s broader agenda to prioritize fossil fuel production over clean energy initiatives. The move was met with swift condemnation from environmentalists, scientists, and political leaders who warned that it will accelerate the climate crisis and have long-term consequences for American workers.

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels. The US had previously left the accord during Trump’s first term but rejoined under President Joe Biden in 2020.

Trump’s withdrawal from the pact signals a return to aggressive fossil fuel expansion, including the rollback of clean energy initiatives such as subsidies for electric vehicles and renewable energy projects. “If they want to be tough on China, don’t punish U.S. automakers and hard-working Americans by handing our clean-car keys to the Chinese,” said Gina McCarthy, former White House climate adviser and head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “The United States must continue to show leadership on the international stage if we want to have any say in how trillions of dollars in financial investments, policies, and decisions are made.”

Along with the executive order, Trump signed a formal notification letter to the United Nations, which oversees the agreement. The withdrawal process will take one year, meaning the U.S. will officially exit the Paris Agreement in early 2026.

Despite rapid growth in solar and wind energy during Biden’s presidency, particularly due to the Inflation Reduction Act, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have remained largely stagnant. In 2024, emissions dropped by just 0.2 percent, according to the Rhodium Group. In contrast, Trump’s reversal of Biden’s climate policies is expected to lead to U.S. emissions decreasing by just 24 to 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030—far from Biden’s target of a 61 percent reduction.

The move was met with sharp criticism from environmental groups and global climate leaders. Many expressed concern that it would undermine international climate efforts at a critical time. “President Trump is choosing to begin his term pandering to the fossil fuel industry and its allies,” the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a statement. “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.”

Christiana Figueres, a Costa Rican diplomat who played a central role in negotiating the Paris Agreement, offered a stark assessment: “Trump’s irresponsibility is no surprise. In time, Trump will not be around, but history will point to him and his fossil fuel friends with no pardon.”

Although the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Agreement, it will still remain a part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which means it will continue to participate in global climate summits, such as COP29 in Brazil this November. However, Trump’s absence from the Paris Agreement could weaken U.S. influence in international climate negotiations.

Meanwhile, research from the Climate Action Tracker warned that if countries fail to meet their climate pledges, global temperatures could rise by 2.6 degrees Celsius (4.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, far exceeding the Paris Agreement’s original target.

Trump, however, remains focused on ramping up oil and gas production, aiming to solidify the U.S. as the world’s largest fossil fuel exporter. His administration has argued that energy independence and economic growth must take precedence over international climate commitments, even at the cost of global environmental sustainability.