The United States (US) President Donald Trump has issued an order withdrawing funding from United Nations entities and ceasing participation in or funding to 66 listed entities, to the extent permitted by law. The move follows domestic cuts in subsidies as well as mandates for many organisations, including the NREL.
He also directed all listed executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawal of the United States from the organizations listed in Section 2 of this memorandum as soon as possible. For United Nations entities, the withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities, to the extent permitted by law.
Linking the latest order to an earlier order issued on February 4, 2025, Trump said, “I issued Executive Order 14199 (Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations).”
He connected his latest decision to the earlier Executive Order (EO), which directed the Secretary of State, in consultation with the United States Representative to the United Nations, to review all international intergovernmental organizations.
66 Firms in Withdrawal List
He also hinted at a possible expansion of the list, stating that further review findings by the Secretary of State remain ongoing. Moreover, among the 66 organizations from which the United States would withdraw are non-United Nations organizations.
Among the key organizations removed from the list are the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact; the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; the International Energy Forum; the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance; the International Lead and Zinc Study Group; the International Renewable Energy Agency; the International Solar Alliance (ISA); and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century.
The list also includes United Nations (UN) organizations such as the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa; ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; and UN Energy.
Implications
While it will be business as usual for many of these oprganisations that had taken care to not count on US patronage, the fact remains that the p[ace at which the US is slowing down its own efforts, and even pushing others to follow, could deal a serious blow to climate change related moves. From the absolute revival of fossil fuels, especially gas, to the deep cuts to solar and wind power that will start shopwing up in numbers in the US by 2028, the damage is real. The effect of US backdown globally will show up a little later, but there is little doubt that while unabvle to reverse it, the US under Trump has managed to rob significant momentum from the move to reduce global emissions.