GOING ROGUE: US withdrawal from UNFCCC
7 January 2026
On Wednesday 7th January, the US administration announced their withdrawal from a number of UN and non-UN based bodies and treaties. This includes the withdrawal from two key climate change bodies, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the multilateral body responsible for addressing the climate crisis and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international climate science organisation that provides evidence based research on climate change. This is yet another demonstration of the US government’s move away from international cooperation and the respect for international law.
The Climate Action Network, representing more than 2,000 organisations in over 140 countries in the world, condemns this decision, and stands firm in calling out the contribution of the United States to a number of global crises, including the climate crisis, wars, conflicts and genocide as well as the ongoing weakening and respect for international law. The US needs to be held accountable for this.
Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network International, said: “The US’s announced departure from the UNFCCC, IPCC and other UN bodies does not erase their historical responsibility in harming our planet and people and failing to provide the funds to support developing countries in handling the consequences of their reckless economic model. This announcement should be a signal to all Parties to the UNFCCC to tighten the rules of accountability and compliance, with consequences for non-compliance in the form of sanctioning mechanisms.
Ife Kilimanjaro, Executive Director of USCAN, said: “Isolationism is a failed response to a global crisis. By severing ties with the UN and critical climate treaties, the US administration is choosing to ignore the defining challenges of our century. We reject the rationale behind this retreat from reality. True leadership requires staying at the table to protect the sanctity and dignity of all life; leaving it only ensures that the most vulnerable will pay the highest price. Now is the time for people across the United States to make their voices heard in defense of international cooperation.”
Contact: media@climatenetwork.org