The United States has dramatically reversed its climate policy direction under the Trump administration, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and eliminating key environmental initiatives even as global scientific reports warn of accelerating climate change.
On January 20, President Trump issued an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, according to legal analysis from [Stinson.com]. The Environmental Protection Agency subsequently removed all "climate change" references from its website on January 27.
The policy reversal extends beyond international agreements. The administration terminated "environmental justice" offices and positions "to the maximum extent allowed by law," and eliminated the EJScreen tool that was widely used to identify communities disproportionately impacted by environmental issues [Stinson.com].
These changes come as the latest scientific evidence shows climate change is "widespread, rapid and intensifying," according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report approved by 195 member governments [UN.org]. The report finds that many climate changes are "unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years," with some effects like sea-level rise being irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.
The Arctic has experienced its hottest temperatures in 125 years according to a NOAA report, while global temperatures are projected to surpass 1.5°C (2.7°F) within the next decade [NBC News, UN News]. The past five years have seen average global temperatures among the highest on record.
The U.S. withdrawal from international climate negotiations has created a leadership vacuum that other nations are beginning to fill. "Critics say the U.S. withdrawal cedes valuable ground as China, the world's top greenhouse gas emitter, rapidly expands its renewable and EV industries," according to reports from the recent COP30 climate summit in Brazil [NBC News].
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the federal policy shift, calling Trump's climate policies "dumb" while speaking at the COP30 summit. Newsom emphasized that California, as the world's fourth-largest economy, would continue prioritizing green technology despite federal policy changes [NBC News].
The United Nations has increasingly framed climate change as a human rights issue, with an estimated 3.6 billion people living in areas most susceptible to climate impacts [UN News]. A recent UN special report on climate change and health identifies critical policies needed to protect vulnerable populations.
Meanwhile, the 2024 hurricane season provided researchers with what they called "surprises" that served as "a reminder of the season's unpredictability — particularly in a warming world — even as forecasting gets more accurate" [NBC News].
The contrast between accelerating climate impacts and policy reversals highlights the growing disconnect between scientific consensus and political action. As one UN report noted, "COVID-19 paused but did not slow the relentless advance of climate change," with record levels of greenhouse gases committing the planet to dangerous future warming regardless of current policy debates [UN.org].