United Nations, New York — The United Nations confirmed on Tuesday that it has received official notification from the United States of its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change. This marks the second time the U.S. has initiated a departure from the landmark global pact.
“The United States notified the Secretary-General, in his capacity as depositary, of its withdrawal, on 27 January 2025, from the Paris Agreement of 12 December 2015,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during a daily briefing.
According to Dujarric, the withdrawal will take effect on January 27, 2026, in accordance with Article 28, Paragraph 2 of the agreement. He emphasized the UN’s continued commitment to the Paris Agreement and support for all efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
On his first day back in the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the country from the accord. The first Trump administration officially exited the Paris Agreement in November 2020, a move that was quickly reversed by his successor, President Joe Biden, in January 2021.
Biden had rejoined the agreement as one of his first actions in office, signaling a renewed commitment to tackling the climate crisis. The latest U.S. withdrawal raises concerns among climate activists and nations worldwide about the future of global environmental efforts.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, is a collective effort by nearly 200 countries to combat climate change and its impacts. The agreement aims to strengthen the global response by keeping the global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The U.S.’s decision to exit once again casts uncertainty on international collaborations designed to address environmental challenges that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly in the Global South.
