The Trump administration has withdrawn U.S. scientists from a key United Nations climate change assessment, further distancing the country from international climate efforts.
Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters.
In short:
- The U.S. has stopped participation in an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group, affecting federal scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
- This decision means the U.S. will not be represented at an upcoming IPCC plenary meeting in China, where major decisions about the next global climate report will be made.
- The move aligns with Trump’s broader climate policy, including withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and cutting international climate funding.
Key quote:
"The power of the IPCC is that governments, businesses, and global institutions can operate with shared conclusions. The U.S. being completely removed from that process is concerning."
— Delta Merner, Union of Concerned Scientists
Why this matters:
If the U.S. were to step back from its involvement in the IPCC — whether through reduced funding, diminished scientific contributions, or political disengagement — the consequences could ripple across the international climate policy landscape. Cooperation on climate action might falter, and momentum toward emissions reductions could slow. The absence of U.S. support could be particularly damaging for scientists in developing nations, who often depend on grants and resources from high-income countries to conduct research and implement adaptation strategies. At a time when climate impacts are accelerating — ranging from devastating wildfires to intensifying hurricanes — any weakening of global collaboration could make it even more difficult to address the crisis.
