The writer
In January 2026, the United States announced its withdrawal from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), following its earlier exit from the Paris Agreement.
While politically significant, global climate governance and low-carbon investment trends continue largely unaffected.
Key Implications for Ghana and Africa
Ghana must prioritise adaptation measures, resilience infrastructure, and integration of climate action into national development planning.
Strategic Recommendations for Ghana
Maintain strong engagement in UNFCCC processes Deepen alliances with African states, China, the EU, and climate-vulnerable countries. Focus on economic opportunities in renewable energy and green industrialization Frame climate action as a core development policy.
International Law Implications
Treaty Law Considerations; The UNFCCC was ratified unanimously by the US Senate in 1992. Legal uncertainty exists over unilateral presidential withdrawal, but this does not affect the treaty’s validity for other parties.
Effect on Global Obligations
Under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, withdrawal by one party does not suspend or terminate obligations for others. Climate obligations, reporting frameworks, and COP decisions remain intact.
Climate Justice
Withdrawal does not negate historical responsibility. Claims related to loss and damage, adaptation finance, and equity remain legally and morally grounded.
Conclusion
US withdrawal weakens US influence but does not undermine global climate law.
Climate action is now economically embedded, legally resilient, and geopolitically multipolar.
By Samuel Dotse (PhD)Â