QUITTING THE UNFCCC

The U.S. is officially no longer part of the landmark U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, Politico's E&E News Sara Schonhardt reports, dealing a blow to the global effort to tackle climate change.

The move is part of sweeping cuts of ties to dozens of international organizations President Donald Trump thinks don't jibe with his vision of an America increasingly isolated from the world. Instead, these global groups and the causes they advocate for “conflict with U.S. sovereignty and economic strength,” a White House fact sheet reads.

One of those causes includes global warming, which Trump has called a “con job” and openly opposed through ripping apart climate change policies and restructuring federal programs aimed towards mitigating the rise in global temperature. Until now, the 1992 UNFCCC had universal participation. The U.S. was the first industrialized nation to join the climate treaty under President George H. W. Bush’s administration.

Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups were quick to slam the Trump administration, saying that it threatens to backslide America’s dominance in the climate fight and let competitors step up.

“At a time when climate change impacts are accelerating — whether it’s ever-worsening fire seasons, more intense hurricanes, or prolonged droughts — choosing withdrawal over leadership is shortsighted and profoundly irresponsible,” leaders of the all-Democrat House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition said in a statement. “Climate change does not respect borders, and we cannot address this crisis alone.”

President and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council Manish Bapna echoed the Democrats’ statement, adding that “fortunately, the U.S. is bigger than Washington.”

“Action from cities, states, the private sector and other nations will become even more important to help prevent the worst that climate change will throw at us and protect the world’s most vulnerable populations,” he said.