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PACJA Denounces Donald Trump’s Exit from Climate Change Pact, calls for sanctions against US January 21, 2025 – Nairobi, Kenya: The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) expresses deep
disappointment at the decision made on January 20, 2025, by President Donald Trump to once again withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the landmark global Accord aimed at curbing
the catastrophic impacts of climate change. While the decision comes as no surprise, its
implications for the future of our planet and the global fight for climate justice are profound and worrying.
As the largest historic polluter, the United States bears significant responsibility for the climate crisis currently affecting vulnerable nations worldwide. Trump’s unilateral move threatens to undermine international efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a threshold critical
to the survival of millions of people in Africa, the least developed regions, and the global South. This decision exacerbates existing challenges and delays much-needed climate action at a time when the world needs all hands on deck.
Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA, expressed the Alliance’s concern:
“The decision by Donald Trump to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement for the second time is both reckless and damaging. It sends a dangerous message to the rest of the world, particularly to the most vulnerable communities in Africa and the global South, that some of the
wealthiest nations are not committed to shared global responsibilities. As a continent, Africa is already feeling the devastating effects of climate change, and this decision further entrenches the
inequities that exist within the climate crisis.”
Dr. Mwenda continued, highlighting the critical role the U.S. must play in global climate governance:
“The U.S. is the largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases, and its continued disregard for international climate commitments severely hampers our collective efforts. Climate justice
demands that nations such as the U.S. take responsibility for their past actions and contribute significantly to the fight against climate change. This decision undermines the progress we made at COP28 and threatens the integrity of future climate negotiations.”
Trump’s justification for this withdrawal— claiming it would protect American jobs and industries from an unfair economic burden—ignores the reality that climate action can drive economic growth and create jobs. Moreover, his criticism of countries like China and India for not having equivalent
obligations fails to acknowledge that the U.S. is the largest historic polluter and has an obligation to lead in reducing emissions and supporting global efforts to mitigate climate change.
This decision also falls within the broader pattern of U.S. half-hearted commitment to the UNFCCC, dating back to the U.S. refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol in 2001, the weak outcomes of the 2009 Copenhagen Summit, and the Trump administration’s rollback of domestic climate policies like the Clean Power Plan. Such inconsistency undermines the global momentum required to tackle the
climate crisis and puts vulnerable nations like those in Africa at even greater risk.
PACJA also stresses that the fight for climate justice goes beyond just reducing emissions. It includes delivering on climate finance pledges to support the most vulnerable countries adapt and build
resilience to climate impacts. As countries like the U.S. turn their backs on international agreements, they further jeopardise the ability of developing nations to protect their people and ecosystems.
In light of this decision, PACJA urges African governments, climate advocates, and the global community to remain steadfast in their commitment to the Paris Agreement. The alliance calls for continued and enhanced efforts to pressure the U.S. and other major emitters to honour their
obligations to tackle the climate crisis and ensure a just and equitable transition to a sustainable future.
PACJA reiterates its call for a united, collective global response to the climate crisis – one that centres on justice, equity, and accountability. It is also time to urge for punitive sanctions against the Trump
Government as it joins, shamefully, the axis of climate terrorism – Iran, Yemen and Libya, which are yet to ratify the Paris Agreement.
Dr. Augustine Njamnshi, the Executive Director of the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA), who is also the Chair of the Technical and Political Affairs Committee of PACJA,
said:
“Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement should not discourage us but should galvanise people power and international solidarity as the only hope we have of averting an unimaginable climate
crisis which will fan the flames of every existing inequality and injustice. It will take all of us around the world, organising together, to hold the historic emitters like the U.S. under the watch of Donald Trump to account and ensure our governments also do their fair share of climate action in the next
four years to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees. Trump’s decision doesn’t change that.”
About PACJA
The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) is a coalition of civil society organizations dedicated
to promoting climate justice across Africa. With a focus on ensuring that the voices and needs of
Africa’s most vulnerable communities are represented in global climate action, PACJA advocates for
a fair and equitable approach to addressing the impacts of climate change, ensuring that the policies
and financing mechanisms developed serve the continent’s long-term interests.
