The United States is officially out of the Paris Agreement, making it the only country to quit the historic climate pact — twice.
The move to leave the agreement, set in motion by President Donald Trump exactly one year ago, takes effect Tuesday. Trump announced the departure on Jan. 20, 2025, his first day in office, followed by a written statement one week later to the United Nations, which confirmed in writing that American participation in the agreement would end on Jan. 27, 2026.
“Thanks to President Trump, the U.S. has officially escaped from the Paris Climate Agreement which undermined American values and priorities, wasted hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and stifled economic growth,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in an email. “This is another commonsense America First victory for the American people!”
The formal departure comes as Trump has isolated the U.S. on climate policy by criticizing other countries for pursuing renewable energy, threatening to slap tariffs on nations if they supported a carbon tax on shipping and canceling international aid that would be used by poorer countries to protect themselves from rising seas and other risks. It also makes the U.S. one of the only countries in the world without a goal for reducing its climate pollution.
