President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, marking his second departure from the global pact aimed at combating climate change. The announcement came on the heels of his inauguration, where he also declared a “national energy emergency” to promote domestic drilling, scrapped vehicle emissions standards, and vowed to halt offshore wind farm projects.
“We are immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris Climate Accord,” Trump declared to a cheering crowd at a Washington sports arena. “The United States will not sabotage its industries while China continues to pollute.”
Trump’s executive actions also included ordering federal agencies to reject international climate finance obligations made under the previous administration and sending a formal notice to the United Nations to initiate the U.S. exit from the agreement, which will take effect in one year.
Critics have slammed the move, warning it undermines global efforts to reduce fossil fuel reliance and could embolden major polluters like China and India to weaken their commitments. “Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is a travesty,” said Rachel Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists, emphasizing the harm it could do to both domestic and global climate resilience.
Despite Trump’s withdrawal, the Paris Agreement remains intact, with countries such as Argentina also reassessing their participation. Laurence Tubiana, a key architect of the accord, remarked that multilateral climate action has proven resilient, while UN climate chief Simon Stiell stated that the “door remains open” for the U.S. to rejoin.
In addition to exiting the Paris Agreement, Trump signed a series of energy-focused executive orders aimed at rolling back environmental protections, including reversing offshore drilling bans, resuming oil exploration in protected Alaskan lands, and undoing President Joe Biden’s climate initiatives, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which invests in clean energy solutions.
These actions have been praised by energy industry leaders but condemned by environmental advocates who argue that the U.S. is already the world’s top producer of oil and gas. “There is no energy emergency. There is a climate emergency,” said Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, accusing Trump of further benefiting fossil fuel interests at the expense of the environment.
While Trump’s policies are expected to slow greenhouse gas reduction efforts, many experts remain hopeful that long-term emissions reductions will continue despite setbacks. Trump’s announcement comes amid rising global temperatures and increasing climate disasters, including wildfires in Los Angeles, exacerbated by climate change.