Trump Announces U.S. Exit From 1992 U.N. Climate Treaty, Citing American Interests

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will withdraw from a major international climate agreement dating back more than three decades, marking a decisive break with a framework that has long shaped global climate policy.

In a presidential memorandum, Trump said the U.S. will exit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, along with dozens of other international organizations. The decision makes the United States the only country no longer participating in the treaty.

The UNFCCC was established in 1992 and is designed to promote global cooperation on climate change. Its stated goal is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at levels that would prevent what it describes as dangerous interference with the climate system. Every nation in the world has ratified the agreement, underscoring its broad international reach.

Despite that near-universal participation, Trump said continued U.S. involvement in the UNFCCC runs counter to national priorities. In his memorandum, the president argued that remaining part of the treaty was “contrary to the interests of the United States,” signaling his administration’s skepticism toward international climate frameworks that he believes place constraints on American sovereignty or economic decision-making.

The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty in 1992, during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. At the time, Bush described the agreement as one that “represents a delicate balance of many interests,” reflecting an effort to address environmental concerns while accounting for economic and political realities.

Trump’s decision to withdraw from the UNFCCC is separate from his administration’s ongoing exit from another high-profile climate pact, the Paris Agreement. That agreement aims to limit global temperature increases to less than 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius, or roughly 2.7 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Trump began the formal process to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement last year, and that withdrawal is expected to take effect later this month.

Together, the moves represent a clear rejection of the international climate agenda embraced by prior administrations. Trump and his administration have consistently questioned the value of sweeping global climate agreements, arguing that such deals can disadvantage the U.S. while allowing other countries more flexibility.

The administration has also pushed back against prevailing climate narratives, often criticizing the economic costs of climate regulations and international commitments. Supporters of Trump’s approach say the withdrawal restores decision-making authority to the U.S. and frees the country from agreements they view as ineffective or unfair.

Critics, however, point to scientific assessments that conclude human activity is contributing to global warming and intensifying extreme weather events. Those arguments have not swayed Trump, who has repeatedly dismissed or downplayed claims about climate change in favor of policies he says put American interests first.

With the U.S. now set to leave the UNFCCC, Trump’s announcement marks one of the most significant shifts in American climate policy in decades, underscoring his administration’s broader effort to reevaluate long-standing international commitments.