U.S. Halts Participation in Key UN Climate Assessments Amid Trump Withdrawal

The Trump administration has stopped U.S. scientists from participating in essential U.N. climate assessments, signaling a broader retreat from climate efforts. This halt affects the U.S. Global Change Research Program and NOAA's involvement, causing concern over diminished influence in international climate strategies and funding challenges.

The Trump administration has halted the participation of U.S. scientists in crucial U.N. climate change assessments, according to sources. The decision is part of a broader withdrawal from climate change mitigation efforts and multilateral cooperation.

This halt impacts staff from the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It specifically affects a key working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, meaning the U.S. will not attend the upcoming IPCC plenary meeting in Hangzhou, China, next week. This meeting is pivotal in planning the seventh global climate assessment, sources indicated.

The absence of U.S. involvement in the IPCC process has raised concerns. According to Delta Merner from the Union of Concerned Scientists, the power of the IPCC lies in shared conclusions among governments, businesses, and institutions. The U.S. withdrawal from this process is particularly troubling given past moves to retract from the Paris climate agreement and reduce global climate finance.