• Press Release

Withdrawing United States from Paris Agreement is Reckless and Short-Sighted 

January 20, 2025

(Michael Hall, Getty)

In response to President Trump signing an Executive Order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change, Paul O’Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA made the following statement.  

“The climate crisis is one of the most pervasive threats to human rights today, leading to famine, refugee and other humanitarian crises, poverty and homelessness across the globe. President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement again will cause harm to communities across the globe. While the world’s most marginalized people will continue to be the hardest hit, we don’t need to look farther than the fires in California or the flooding in North Carolina to understand that the climate crisis is here and is directly harming all of us. 

“As one of the world’s largest carbon emitters, the United States has a responsibility to lead the way in ditching fossil fuels and supporting the worldwide transition to zero carbon economies. By refusing to join the international community in taking the necessary steps to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, President Trump is skirting that responsibility. Worst yet, such a move will only encourage other leaders to follow suit.  

“While President Trump’s decision is reckless and destructive, the U.S. government’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement does not mean that people throughout the United States are abandoning the global effort to mitigate the climate crisis. Nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States are concerned about global warming, and state and local governments will continue to step up to fill the gap left by the Trump administration and deliver the climate action that their constituents are demanding. For instance, we’re already seeing legislative efforts to hold corporations accountable for the environmental damage they cause, efforts to cap carbon emissions and put limits on fracking, and rules for ensuring that new construction is less polluting and more climate resilient. These efforts are a credit to the tireless work of activists to advance climate positive policies across the United States, regardless of which politicians are in power. 

“The Paris Agreement and other multilateral instruments by no means provide the perfect answers to the climate crisis. But they provide a means for the lowest income and most at risk countries that are the least responsible for the climate crisis to have a say alongside the higher income countries that are most responsible for the crisis. We will not cease advocating for it and other just solutions to the climate crisis. 

“We will continue to advocate for just solutions to the climate crisis to ensure a rapid, equitable and transition to zero carbon economies that reduce inequalities and protect human rights. There will be no climate justice without human rights.”  

Background 

  • With today’s announcement, President Trump will be beginning a year-long process to formally exit the Paris climate agreement, similar to his actions during his first term. 
  • The Paris Agreement on climate change is the world’s most ambitious climate agreement, ratified by 195 parties and entering into force in November 2016. Under the Paris Agreement, the United States has committed to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by 61 to 66 percent below 2005 levels in 2035. 
  • Without strong action to prevent it, the climate crisis is expected to cause 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 due to malaria, malnutrition, diarrhea and heat stress. More than one billion people will see a severe reduction in water resources with a 2°C rise in the global mean temperature. It would increase the number of people at risk of hunger by at least 600 million by 2080. Furthermore, an estimated 1.2 billion people could be displaced globally by 2050 due to climate change and natural disasters.  
  • Governments worldwide currently plan to produce around 110% more fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, and 69% more than would be consistent with 2°C. 
  • The rate of the rise in carbon dioxide emissions shows no sign of slowing and was one of the fastest ever in 2024. 
  • The United States is currently the largest methane gas (liquified natural gas) exporter. 
  • 2024 was the first calendar year in which the global mean temperature surpassed 1.5°C above its pre-industrial level.