Why Trump's Abrupt Exit from Pivotal Climate Treaty Matters

"President Donald Trump is withdrawing the United States from the world's overarching treaty on climate change in a move that escalates his attempts to reverse years of global negotiations toward addressing rising temperatures. The announcement to sever ties with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change came as Trump quit dozens of international organizations that the White House said no longer serve U.S. interests by promoting what it called radical climate policies and other issues."

"The 1992 UNFCCC serves as the international structure for efforts by 198 countries to slow the rate of rising climate pollution. It has universal participation. The U.S. was the first industrialized nation to join the treaty following its ratification under former President George H.W. Bush and it will be the only nation ever to leave it. The move marks an intensifying effort by Trump to topple climate efforts compared to his first term, when he decided against quitting the treaty."

The United States is withdrawing from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and is quitting dozens of international organizations the White House says promote radical climate policies and undermine U.S. sovereignty. The 1992 UNFCCC provided the structure for 198 countries to slow rising climate pollution and had universal participation. The U.S. was the first industrialized nation to ratify under President George H.W. Bush and will become the only nation to leave. The move follows pressure on other countries to abandon carbon-cutting measures and is framed by officials as protecting American sovereignty and economic strength.

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