International Climate Agreements

International climate agreements are the treaties and formal accords through which countries coordinate action on greenhouse gas emissions, climate research, and environmental protection. The United States negotiates, joins, and sometimes leaves these agreements through processes rooted in the Constitution’s treaty power and in executive authority, and its participation shapes both global climate efforts and domestic energy and environmental policy.

Types of agreements. Not every climate accord works the same way, and the differences matter for how binding they are and how easily a president can join or exit them. Some are formal treaties requiring Senate approval, while others are executive agreements that a president can enter or withdraw from unilaterally. Readers trying to sort out how these categories differ, and why that distinction shapes American climate policy, can start with Understanding Climate Agreements and Environmental Treaties.

Joining and leaving. Because many climate accords are structured as executive agreements rather than treaties, the United States has moved in and out of them more than once, and the rules governing how a country exits are often built into the agreement itself. For a look at how withdrawal mechanisms were designed and why they matter, see Why the Paris Agreement Was Designed to Let Countries Exit Easily.

The mechanics of withdrawal. Leaving an international treaty involves specific legal and procedural steps, from formal notice to waiting periods before an exit takes effect. The Process for Withdrawing from International Treaties, Step by Step walks through how that process actually works.