Withdrawal from UNFCCC and IPCC sidelines U.S. from key global decision-making
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced the United States will withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), cutting the U.S. off from the world’s central forums for climate diplomacy, scientific assessment, and international energy cooperation.
“By walking away from the UNFCCC and the IPCC, the Trump administration is sidelining the United States from global decision-making fora that shape energy markets, industries, and security outcomes,” said David Yellen, Director for Climate Policy Innovation at Clean Air Task Force. “This decision will not stop global climate diplomacy or clean energy investment—but it will weaken U.S. credibility, limit the contribution of U.S. expertise, and hand over influence to competitors at a moment when trillions of dollars in energy and infrastructure investments are at stake.”
Yellen Continued:
“Withdrawal from the IPCC removes U.S. scientists from the world’s most authoritative assessments of climate risks and technology pathways, undermining the scientific credibility that has long underpinned U.S. climate diplomacy. And its withdrawal does not change the reality and science of climate change. As the United States steps back, other countries, including China, are positioned to consolidate influence over clean energy supply chains, financing, and standards-setting. Ceding leadership in these arenas does not put America first – it makes the U.S. a rule-taker rather than a rule-maker in the fastest growing sectors of the global economy.”
CATF has a longstanding presence at COP, advancing a comprehensive climate agenda that accelerates innovation across the full suite of clean energy solutions, aligns climate action with economic growth and competitiveness, mobilizes rapid action to cut methane pollution, and strengthens global cooperation through regionally tailored pathways. As U.S. federal leadership retreats, CATF will remain fully engaged in multilateral forums and deepen collaboration with governments determined to keep climate progress moving forward.
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About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With more than 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
