World cities condemn US President Trump’s withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement
Mayors from Europe and the US, like Anne Hidalgo (Paris) and Kate Gallego (Phoenix, AZ) have condemned President Trump’s executive order to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. “As we have recently seen from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, extreme summer temperatures in Phoenix, and hard-hitting hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida, the effects of our changing climate are at our doorstep.”
February 2025: On the first day of his second term (20 January 2025 to 2029) as American President, Donald Trump decided to once again withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, which is regarded as the world’s most important effort to tackle rising temperatures. The Paris Agreement is a commitment by signatories to limit the causes of global warming. During his first term as US President (2026 to 20200, Trump said he represented the people of Pittsburgh, not Paris. The US will now join the likes of Iran, Yemen and Libya as the only countries to currently stand outside the agreement, which was signed 10 years ago in the French capital by 195 countries as well as the European Union (EU).
Following Donald Trump’s decision to once again leave the Paris Agreement – the US did so during Trump’s first term – mayors from across the world, including many from the US, have stressed the importance of the Agreement and confirmed that their cities would adhere to its commitment.
The C40 global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities has issued a strong statement calling the US President’s intention an “act of climate vandalism”.
Statement by Mark Watts, C40 Cities Executive Director
“Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the most significant climate pledge of our generation is a gross dereliction of his duty as a world leader, especially as President of the country with the single biggest historic responsibility for pumping greenhouse gases into our shared atmosphere. To ignore that, and the damage that the climate emergency is wreaking across the US from hurricanes and floods in the south to the fires that burned in Los Angeles, shows a complete disregard for the safety and future of Americans and other people around the world alike.”
Statement by Sadiq Khan, C40 Co-Chair and Mayor of London
“It is deeply disappointing that President Trump has chosen to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, once again.”
“2024 was the hottest year on record, and as we’ve so vividly seen by the heartbreaking Los Angeles wildfires, the devastating effects of the climate crisis are hitting communities all around the world – across all continents, and whether rich or poor.
“Now couldn’t be a more perilous time for world leaders to renege on their climate responsibilities and ignore the science on the existential threat posed by climate change.”
“Cities like London will continue to lead the way. We will redouble our efforts to work with our friends in US states and cities to uphold the key pillars of the Paris Agreement and demonstrate the huge opportunities that investment in green technologies can have for economies around the world. We will stay open to investment in the high-tech green industries that remain the economies of the future.”
Statement by Kate Gallego, C40 Cities Vice Chair and Mayor of Phoenix
“Regardless of the US federal government’s actions, mayors are not backing down on our commitment to the Paris Agreement. The cost of inaction is simply too high. As we have recently seen from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, extreme summer temperatures in Phoenix, and hard-hitting hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida, the effects of our changing climate are at our doorstep. Now, more than ever, we must accelerate our work to protect our communities, lower energy bills, create good-paying local jobs, and maintain our nation’s economic competitiveness by modernizing our infrastructure and investing in emerging markets.”
Statement by Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris:
“As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Agreement, the US President’s move is very bad news for the planet! I urge all climate advocates: We must stand firm before the climate sceptics! You can always count on Paris and the cities to resist and hold firm!”
“We will never lack courage and determination. More than ever, we will continue to innovate and adapt our cities to climate change.”
Statement by Brandon Johnson, Mayor of Chicago
“Chicago and our peer cities are and will remain at the forefront of climate action. As the new federal administration abandons its duty to protect the planet from environmental collapse, Chicago will not waver from our duty to protect our communities’ health, safety and well-being. This means making low-cost, clean energy accessible to all, creating good-paying jobs in the green economy and preparing our neighbourhoods to withstand more frequent and extreme weather events. Regardless of federal action, Chicago reaffirms our commitment to our planet, our people and our neighbourhoods and vows to make every effort to drastically reduce carbon emissions, minimise our reliance on fossil fuels and leverage every opportunity to enhance the quality of life of our residents.”
Statement by Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston
“In Boston, we know that climate action is about taking action to improve lives. We make streets safer for pedestrians, air cleaner for kids, and energy cheaper for families. We invest in job training to prepare climate-ready workers. This isn’t just good for the planet – it’s critical for our people. Cities across the US will remain committed to our work to deliver the benefits of a better future for our residents.”
Statement by Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle
“While the Trump government is moving backwards on climate, here in Seattle, we’re creating the future we deserve. The action happens at the local level – and the work to make Seattle climate-ready is moving ahead. My administration is reducing emissions, improving mobility, creating jobs, and expanding affordable clean energy – all at the same time. We have to keep preparing our communities for the coming climate reality, and I’m prepared to do just that.”
Sources: C40 Cities, United Nations (Climate Change), BBC