UN confirms US withdrawal from Paris Agreement
text_fields
United Nations: The United Nations has confirmed receiving official notification from Washington regarding its withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
"The United States notified the Secretary-General, in his capacity as depositary, of its withdrawal on January 27, 2025, from the Paris Agreement of December 12, 2015," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres, during a daily briefing.
According to Article 28, paragraph 2, of the agreement, the US withdrawal will take effect on January 27, 2026. Despite this development, the UN reaffirmed its commitment to the accord and pledged to support global efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, Xinhua news agency reported.
On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the climate accord, marking the second time his administration has taken such action. Immediately following his inauguration, he signed a letter to the UN Secretary-General formalizing the withdrawal and outlining the rationale behind the decision.
Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden had submitted the country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UN, setting a target of reducing US greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66 percent by 2035. However, Trump's withdrawal effectively reverses this commitment.
The US first exited the Paris Agreement in November 2020 under Trump’s leadership, dealing a significant blow to global climate efforts. Biden reinstated the country into the accord upon taking office in January 2021, but Trump’s latest move fulfills a campaign promise to withdraw once again.
The decision marks a sharp shift in US climate policy, with Trump also declaring a national energy emergency, rescinding Biden-era climate regulations, and promoting increased energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters.
With IANS inputs