A day after US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s withdrawal from 66 international organisations, treaties and alliances — including the International Solar Alliance — the US Treasury Department on Thursday formally confirmed the country’s immediate exit from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The United States, however, has not withdrawn from the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), a clean energy platform aimed at accelerating the global adoption of biofuels. India, Brazil and the US remain the principal drivers of the initiative.
In a statement, the Treasury Department said the move was consistent with the Trump administration’s earlier decision to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It added that the US has also relinquished its seat on the GCF Board with immediate effect.
“In alignment with the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the U.S. Department of the Treasury has notified the Green Climate Fund (GCF) that the United States is withdrawing from the Fund and stepping down from its seat on the GCF Board, effective immediately,” the statement said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the objectives of the GCF were “contrary” to US interests and asserted that Washington would no longer fund what he described as “radical organizations.”
“Our nation will no longer fund radical organizations like the GCF whose goals run contrary to the fact that affordable, reliable energy is fundamental to economic growth and poverty reduction,” Bessent said.
According to the Treasury Department, the decision reflects the administration’s focus on advancing affordable and reliable energy sources, which it considers essential for economic development and poverty reduction.
The Green Climate Fund is the world’s largest climate financing mechanism, established to support developing countries by mobilising large-scale funding, strengthening institutional capacities, promoting transformative climate action and fostering global partnerships.
The announcement follows Trump’s signing of a Presidential Memorandum on Wednesday directing the withdrawal from 66 international organisations, conventions and treaties deemed by his administration to be “contrary to the interests of the United States.”
The memorandum said the decision was based on a comprehensive review mandated under Executive Order 14199, issued on February 4, 2025, which required an assessment of all international intergovernmental organisations, conventions and treaties involving US membership, funding or support.
Under the review, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in consultation with the US Representative to the United Nations, submitted a report identifying bodies and agreements found to be inconsistent with US interests. After reviewing the findings and consulting Cabinet members, the President concluded that continued participation in several UN and non-UN organisations was no longer in the national interest.
The White House said the list includes 35 non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities. Among them is the India-France-led International Solar Alliance (ISA), which was launched to promote cooperation on solar energy deployment as part of global efforts to address climate change.
According to the ISA website, the initiative was conceived on the sidelines of the COP21 climate conference in Paris in 2015. Following an amendment to its Framework Agreement in 2020, membership was opened to all UN member states. The Alliance aims to mobilise USD 1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 while reducing the cost of solar technologies and financing.
Following reports of the US decision, Indian government sources said the ISA remains focused on supporting member countries in scaling up solar energy in line with their needs. The Alliance currently comprises 125 member and signatory countries and will continue working towards universal energy access.
Sources added that the ISA will maintain its emphasis on cooperation with Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) for the development and deployment of solar energy solutions.
Trump’s opposition to organisations addressing climate change has been evident since his inauguration. In November, during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, he sharply criticised climate science, describing climate change as the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” and dismissing global climate action as misguided.
While several leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called for urgent climate action, Trump struck a markedly different tone. He described climate change as a “fake energy catastrophe,” criticised reliance on renewable energy and claimed the concept of a carbon footprint was a hoax promoted by groups with “evil intentions.”
“The carbon footprint is a hoax, made up by people with evil intentions, and they’re heading down a path of total destruction,” Trump said in a speech lasting more than 45 minutes, nearly three times the UN’s recommended length.
He also launched a sustained attack on renewable energy, calling clean energy policies wasteful and ineffective, and mocked renewables as a costly failure. “If you don’t get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump said, criticising European countries such as Germany, Greece and Switzerland for investing in renewable energy.
