On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term as President of the United States.
Wasting no time, his administration announced several controversial executive actions, including an intent to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement for the second time.
The announcement, accompanied by a declaration of an “Energy Emergency,” a rollback of electric vehicle incentives, and the abolition of the non-existent Green New Deal, has reignited debates over U.S. climate policy.
While President Trump announced his immediate intent to leave the Paris Agreement, the formal withdrawal process takes a year.
During this time, his administration retains the option to send delegations to related meetings or participate in events tied to the Agreement.
However, the order suggests limited involvement, with plans to restrict U.S. participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including cutting funding and reducing attendance at Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings.
Once the withdrawal is finalized, the US will remain a party to the UNFCCC but will lose its ability to fully engage in Paris Agreement-specific sessions, participating only as an observer without voting rights.
A Familiar Move
This marks the second time President Trump has attempted to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement.
The first withdrawal was announced on November 4, 2019, during Trump’s initial term, and took effect on November 4, 2020—coinciding with the day after the presidential election.
Despite exiting, the US was still required to fulfill its reporting obligations to the United Nations under the Agreement.
President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, prioritized re-joining the Paris Agreement. On January 20, 2021, just hours after his inauguration, Biden signed an executive order to re-enter the accord.
The US formally rejoined on February 19, 2021, 107 days after the withdrawal had taken effect.
Now, history repeats itself. With a new executive order, President Trump has set the stage for the US to once again become the only country out of 193 parties to withdraw from the global climate accord.
The Paris Agreement, established to unite nations in combating climate change, remains the sole multilateral forum of its kind where all participating nations have an equal voice.
As the process unfolds, the impact of this decision on international climate efforts and US credibility remains to be seen.
