United States formalized its exit from the Paris Agreement this Tuesday and became the only country in the world outside the main global pact against climate change.
The decision of Donald Trump’s government deepened Washington’s international isolation at a critical moment for the planet.
The official withdrawal from the Paris Agreement by the U.S. was finalized one year after Trump signed the executive order to start the process.
Earlier this month, the president announced that the country would also leave the framework convention of the United Nations on climate change.
This treaty underpins the Paris Agreement and was unanimously ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1992 during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.
The double exit makes it difficult for a future government to reverse course and rejoin the international climate system.
The White House defended its decision
From the government, the measure was presented as a political victory.
Taylor Rogers, presidential spokesperson, stated that Trump withdrew the country from “radical international agreements” that undermine American values.
According to Rogers, these pacts waste taxpayer money and hinder economic growth.
In this context, he described the exit as a triumph of the “America First” agenda promoted by the Trump administration.
International criticism of the United States for leaving the Paris Agreement and its historical responsibility
The announcement of the official exit from the Paris Agreement generated strong criticism both inside and outside the United States.
The country is currently the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, only behind China, and the largest historical emitter.
This fact is key because these gases remain in the atmosphere for decades or centuries. This accumulation is one of the main causes of:
- Rising sea levels
- Extreme heat waves
- Intensification of floods
- More frequent wildfires
- Prolonged droughts
From Europe, reactions were immediate. The climate commissioner of the European Union, Wopke Hoekstra, stated that the U.S. withdrawal represents a “clear absence of leadership” and will have significant negative consequences.
He warned that it is difficult to understand how a nation with such economic power and such a direct historical responsibility decides to disengage from the collective effort against global warming.
Background and structural changes
During his first term, Trump had already withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement. But then, that decision was reversed by President Joe Biden, who rejoined the country as soon as he took office in 2021.
This time, however, the exit from the base convention of the UN aims to block a quick reversal.
The strategy consolidates a structural shift in the long-term U.S. climate policy.
In parallel, the Trump administration advanced in dismantling internal environmental regulations.
The government promotes greater exploitation of oil, gas, and coal, while limiting the development of clean energies.
Trump also used trade tools to pressure other countries to reduce their climate commitments. The strategy seeks to increase the purchase of U.S. energy based on fossil fuels.
Experts warn that the lack of commitment may serve as an excuse for other countries to reduce their own climate ambitions.
It also complicates financing for poorer nations to abandon fossil fuels and reinforces the image of the U.S. as an unreliable partner.
The withdrawal occurs as the planet faces record temperatures, increasingly costly climate disasters, and scientific warnings that are ever more urgent about the global climate crisis.
