Cases / Law, regulation and treaties · United States · 2025–2026
US quits 66 international bodies including the IPCC; NOAA disaster database closed
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
Not on record
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
On 7 January 2026 the US withdrew from 66 organisations, including the IPCC, IPBES, UNFCCC and IUCN. Earlier, NOAA closed its billion-dollar disaster database in May 2025, and Climate Central later restarted it.
What?
The US federal government withdrew from 66 international bodies, including the IPCC and UNFCCC, in January 2026, and federal climate science work was cut or shelved. Engadget
Where?
United States federal government, NOAA and international climate bodies Noticias Ambientales
When?
February 2025 (IPCC work halted); May 2025 (disaster database closed); January 2026 (withdrawal)
Who?
Gained
None on recordLost
- National Weather Service — more than 550 of its 4,800 staff left in 2025
- NOAA research office (OAR) — zeroing proposed in the 2026 budget request, though Congress kept the office
Harmed
None on recordWhy?
Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation document, called NOAA part of a climate change alarm industry and proposed breaking it up, according to E&E News (April 2024). E&E News
How?
Federal scientists were not put forward as IPCC authors; a university group nominated the candidates and collected travel money itself. E&E News
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
Noticias Ambientales reported that on 7 January 2026 the US withdrew from 66 organisations, 31 of them UN bodies, including the IPCC, IPBES, UNFCCC and IUCN.
E&E News reported in January 2026 that federal scientists halted IPCC work in February 2025 and nominated no US authors, while a university group nominated 282 candidates, of whom 63 were picked as authors.
E&E News reported in April 2024 that Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation document, called NOAA part of a climate change alarm industry and said it should be broken up and downsized.
KRDO and CNN reported that NOAA closed its billion-dollar disaster database in May 2025, and that Climate Central restarted it in October 2025, counting 14 events costing 101.4 billion dollars in the first half of 2025.
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: the IPCC's funding may run out in 2028 (Bloomberg, no link opened).
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: the US funded about 10% of the IPBES budget and about 22% of the UNFCCC core budget (no link opened).
- None on record The text of the January 2026 presidential memorandum could not be checked.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers
Press and investigations
- Trump withdraws the U.S. from the IPCC, IPBES, UN Climate Change, IUCN and 66 other international organizationsNoticias Ambientales · 2026-01-08
- The IPCC said humans cause climate change, is that why Trump quit it?E&E News · 2026-01-09
- Trump allies target NOAA climate researchE&E News · 2024-04-10
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