Gambiaj.com – (WASHINGTON, D.C) – President Donald Trump on Wednesday launched a renewed assault on global climate diplomacy, signing an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from a key United Nations climate treaty and the world’s leading scientific body on climate change, among dozens of international organisations deemed no longer to be serving “American interests.”
According to the White House, the order mandates the withdrawal of the United States from a total of 66 organisations, roughly half of them affiliated with the United Nations system.
Among the most consequential exits is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the foundational treaty for all major international climate agreements. The convention, adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, provided the framework under which the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement was later negotiated.
President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement for a second time shortly after returning to the White House last year. During his first term, he exited the Paris accord but remained within the UNFCCC, allowing the U.S. to continue participating in annual global climate conferences. The latest decision severs that remaining institutional link.
“This is a further sign that this authoritarian and anti-science administration is determined to sacrifice public well-being and undermine international cooperation,” said Rachel Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists, reacting to the announcement.
Climate Institutions Targeted
The executive order also directs the U.S. to withdraw from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN’s authoritative scientific body on climate science, as well as several other organisations focused on environmental protection and sustainable development. These include the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and UN-Water.
President Trump has long been openly hostile to climate science. In September, speaking before the UN General Assembly, he described global warming as “the greatest scam in our history” and praised what he called “clean, beautiful coal,” remarks that drew strong international criticism.
Broader UN Withdrawals
Beyond climate-related bodies, the order also mandates U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which focuses on maternal and child health and reproductive services. Washington had already announced several months ago that it would cut funding to the agency.
Also affected is the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), led by Rebeca Grynspan, who is widely viewed as a potential successor to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
These latest withdrawals add to President Trump’s earlier decisions to exit the Paris Climate Agreement, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization (WHO)—all institutions the United States had rejoined during the presidency of Joe Biden.
The sweeping nature of the executive order signals a continued shift away from multilateral engagement under the Trump administration, with critics warning of long-term consequences for global cooperation on climate, health, and development.
