Trump Administration Urges Nations to Oppose UN Climate Resolution
The Trump administration is actively urging other nations to pressure the small Pacific island country of Vanuatu to withdraw a United Nations draft resolution that advocates for strong action to prevent climate change. This resolution includes provisions for reparations from nations that fail to take adequate measures. In guidance distributed this week to all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, the State Department expressed strong objections to the proposal, warning that its adoption could pose a major threat to U.S. industry.
Clear Message from the White House
According to a cable sent on Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press, President Trump has delivered a very clear message: that the U.N. and many nations have exaggerated climate change into the world's greatest threat. This move is part of a broader pattern by the Trump administration to distance the United States from climate change efforts globally. Just a day prior, the U.S. government revoked a scientific finding that has long served as the central basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, last month, the U.S. announced plans to withdraw from the U.N. treaty that establishes international climate negotiations.
Vanuatu's Draft Resolution and International Court of Justice Ruling
The draft resolution, sponsored by Vanuatu, is being circulated among the 193-member General Assembly. It stems from a landmark advisory opinion by the U.N.'s top court, the International Court of Justice, last July. The ICJ stated that countries could be in violation of international law if they fail to take measures to protect the planet from climate change, and nations harmed by its effects could be entitled to reparations. While this opinion is not legally binding, it was hailed as a turning point in international climate law.
Vanuatu's U.N. Ambassador Odo Tevi has emphasized that the resolution aims to translate the ICJ's findings into concrete multinational action, calling on all nations to comply with their obligations under international law related to climate change. The proposal includes adopting national climate action plans to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, phasing out subsidies for fossil fuel exploration, production, and exploitation, and urging violators to provide full and prompt reparation for damage. It would also establish an International Register of Damage to record evidence and claims.
International Reactions and Pushback
Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director of Human Rights Watch, urged support for the draft resolution, stating that governments should live up to their obligation to protect human rights by protecting the environment. He criticized those that reject the global scientific consensus and continue to support reliance on harmful fossil fuels. Candy Ofime, a climate justice researcher and legal adviser at Amnesty International, noted that the resolution attempts to turn the ICJ's interpretation into a practical roadmap for state accountability, which is likely to trigger political pushback from higher-income, high-emitting countries wary of their historical responsibility and financial liability.
U.S. Diplomatic Efforts and Concerns
The State Department cable outlined plans to tell other countries to urge Vanuatu to withdraw its draft resolution by Friday, when informal consultations began. The U.S. asserts that the resolution is even more problematic than the court opinion and claims that other Group of 7 economic powers, as well as China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, have indicated they share American concerns with aspects of the draft. The cable describes the resolution as another example of U.N. overreach, part of a broader pattern of using speculative climate models to fabricate purported legal obligations that assign blame and encourage baseless claims.
Many mainstream scientists have continuously warned that climate change is behind increasing instances of deadly and costly extreme weather, including flooding, droughts, wildfires, intense rainfall events, and dangerous heat. This context underscores the high stakes of the ongoing diplomatic and political battle over the UN climate resolution.
