The United States has officially exited the Paris climate agreement for the second time, marking a renewed break with the primary global forum for addressing global heating. The move leaves the US as the only country to have withdrawn from the pact, placing it alongside Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only nations not party to the agreement.
While the departure will not halt global climate efforts, experts say it could significantly complicate them. The withdrawal follows a sweeping assault on domestic climate policy, including an announcement this month that the US will also leave the UN framework convention on climate change, under which the Paris treaty was adopted.
Investment in low-carbon energy continues to outpace spending on fossil fuels, with renewable energy accounting for more than 90% of new power generation capacity last year. China, though still the world’s top coal consumer, is increasingly shaping the green transition, with its electric vehicle maker BYD surpassing Tesla in sales and Chinese firms producing over 80% of the world’s solar panels.
However, Trump’s policies risk pushing the US to the margins of global climate efforts. Sue Biniaz, a former deputy climate envoy, said the US abdication allows fossil fuel advocates in China to slow the energy transition. Other countries may also use the US’s lack of ambition to justify less action, and Israel is reportedly considering a similar departure.
Conversely, some nations have been prompted to take bolder steps. At last year’s Cop30 talks, Colombia, the Netherlands and Pacific Island nations announced plans to host the first international talks focused on phasing out fossil fuels. Nevertheless, any rise in US emissions from Trump’s fossil fuel expansion will be felt worldwide, making Paris targets harder to reach.
