Experts warn of climate setback as Donald Trump pulls US out of Paris pact

The US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement will weaken global efforts to mitigate climate change, and the worst consequences will be felt in developing countries that have contributed the least to global emissions, experts said on Tuesday.

 

US President Donald Trump, on his first day in office of his second term, signed an executive order withdrawing the United States, the world's largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, from the Paris Agreement for the second time in a decade.

 

This places the US alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries not part of the 2015 global climate accord, which aims to limit global warming since the industrial revolution to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

 

 

RR Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute, said the impact of the new US administration is likely to be seen more in global financing for clean energy transition.

 

"The forces of competitive trade actions in the name of climate may get reinforced, he said.

 

Harjeet Singh, climate activist and Founding Director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, described the move as a devastating blow to global climate efforts.

 

The US is prioritising short-term economic gains for fossil fuel industries over the health and well-being of American communities, especially those already burdened by increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters such as wildfires and storms.

 

"Globally, it undermines the collective fight against climate change at a time when unity and urgency are more critical than ever. The most tragic consequences, however, will be felt in developing countries which have contributed the least to global emissions," Singh said.

 

Trishant Dev, a programme officer at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the US, as a major fossil fuel producer, has done little to fulfil its share in combating climate change.

 

"With Trump's return and his stance to entirely sidestep that responsibility, it is decisively clear that the world is left to carry that weight," he said.

 

Dev said Trump has already promised to freeze climate finance and temporarily suspended all US foreign assistance programmes, which could have a big impact not just on climate finance, but on development finance as a whole.

 

"Under the new regime, institutions like the International Development Finance Corporation will face a test in how they handle their role in supporting important programmes, particularly in countries like India. The big question is whether they will maintain their commitment to development in the global South or change course altogether," he said.

 

CSE's Director General Sunita Narain had earlier told PTI that the US has historically underperformed in global climate efforts, particularly in financing support for vulnerable countries, decarbonization, and financial commitments to the developing world.

 

She said that Trump's presidency "would make matters even worse".

 

Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a key architect of the Paris Agreement, said multilateral climate action remains robust despite such setbacks.

 

The climate crisis cannot be tackled by any country alone -- it demands a multilateral response. But this moment should serve as a wake-up call to reform the system, ensuring that those most affected -- communities and individuals on the frontlines -- are at the centre of our collective governance, she said.

 

At the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan, the US stepping back under Trump was one of the major factors behind a weak climate finance deal.

 

Trump initially announced the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017 during his first term, a move reversed by the Joe Biden administration in early 2021.

 

In the run-up to the 2024 US elections, Trump repeatedly referred to climate change as a "hoax" and reiterated his intention to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement.

 

On Monday, on his first day in office of his second term, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement again. He called the Paris climate accord a one-sided agreement, stating that the US would not "sabotage its own industries while China pollutes with impunity".

 

The executive order directed the US Ambassador to the UN to immediately submit formal written notification of the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.