The United States has moved to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), according to a White House memorandum and accompanying public statements released on January 8, 2026. If completed, the decision would make the US the first country to exit the treaty, which underpins international cooperation on climate change.
The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 and ratified by the US Senate during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. The agreement does not mandate specific emissions cuts but establishes a framework for stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations and facilitates ongoing negotiations between participating countries. It also provides the foundation for subsequent agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
The withdrawal would remove the US from formal participation in UN climate negotiations and annual climate summits held under the UNFCCC framework. It follows the Trump administration’s earlier decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement for a second time at the start of President Donald Trump’s current term.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the administration would end participation in international institutions it views as conflicting with US interests. Former Secretary of State and climate envoy John Kerry criticised the move, warning of potential consequences for US global standing.
The decision emerged from a State Department review of international agreements conducted under an executive order. In total, the White House directed withdrawal from 66 international organisations, including multiple UN bodies and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Legal questions remain, as the UNFCCC was ratified by the Senate, raising uncertainty over whether a unilateral presidential withdrawal can be completed.
