You Can’t Just Walk Out On Climate Frameworks!

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The US has withdrawn from the historic Paris global climate frameworks. Can any US president unilaterally the country from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change? That’s the question that former US senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold asks. There are many problems with the decision to abandon a legal agreement, says Feingold.

• That treaty was approved unanimously by the US Senate in 1992.
• This withdrawal is a way of “neutering the Senate’s coequal role in treaty ratification.”
• It surrenders another constitutional power to the executive branch.
• Acceptance of the idea that one person can undo a treaty contradicts Article VI of the Constitution.

“Nothing in the Constitution grants the president any such power,” Feingold reminds us.

Executive agreements and regular legislation are often used today to establish various forms of relations with other countries. Examples are the UN Charter, the New Start Treaty, and the Biological Weapons Convention — all of which “concern crucial aspects of American foreign policy and our international responsibilities,” Feingold explains.

Thomas Jefferson made clear in his manual of parliamentary practice that US treaties were too sacred to be broken.

“Treaties being declared, equally with the laws of the United States, to be the supreme law of the land, it is understood that an act of the legislature alone can declare them infringed and rescinded.”

The Constitution’s grant to Congress of the power to declare war has exceeded mere “academic debate about how far executive abuse could go in this context,” Feingold continues, and “has now become a daily reality. Both executive aggrandizement and congressional acquiescence, coupled with judicial timidity, have seemingly left this unilateral power in Trump’s hands.”

He argues that withdrawal from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change can be resisted in several ways.

• The next Congress or even just the Senate should pass a resolution declaring the Paris climate treaty withdrawal invalid.
• Continue to challenge unilateral presidential power.
• A constitutional amendment introduced in Congress should clarify that treaty withdrawal must be a joint executive and Senate process, or “our entry into treaties will not be taken seriously by other countries. Our ratification process will simply be subject to whim.”

Climate Action Frameworks, and Why Countries Need Them

What are climate action frameworks? Climate actions frameworks are tools that set specific, effective, and trackable targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions and mitigation actions. They are important transparency tools so the public and businesses can understand and monitor current climate decisions for government entities and to plan for future actions against climate change.

Why are they needed? When governments decide to develop climate action frameworks, they take a proactive step to mitigate and adapt to rapid environmental changes. These plans help to address the impact of climate change on local, state, and federal levels. As has become evident through catastrophes caused by extreme weather events, many effects of the climate crisis are regionally specific.

What’s needed to get them enacted? The content of a climate action plan differs depending on the scale of the community it is addressing and the specific needs of the community it is representing. Climate action frameworks have emissions targets and goals that are usually voted on and approved by elected leaders. To get to the place where such emission targets are feasible, governments can work alongside non-governmental stakeholder groups and the public.

What do they include? Often, such plans include elements such as resilience strategies and clean energy goals, typically in ways that achieve emissions reductions in the most cost effective way possible. They usually contain a timeline for the implementation of economic and regulatory changes which can help businesses prepare to adapt to future rules to meet climate goals.

Zooming in on the Specifics of Climate Frameworks

Climate action plans generally include designing, monitoring, and achieving climate targets, as described by Climate Check:

• A baseline survey of the area’s previous greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts;
• Models for how the plan can achieve emissions reductions and carbon offsets, per sector;
• Details about financial considerations for implementing the wish list of various actions and programs;
• Goals and targets for reaching carbon neutrality and resilience targets;
• Steps along the way so that established check-in dates track actual compliance against original outlines; and,
• Pragmatic action steps for implementation — proposed regulations, community and business partnerships, community guidelines, and others.

Specific areas of climate action frameworks often zoom in on:

• Mass electrification for vehicles, reduced miles driven per person, and public mass, just options;
• Renewable and resilient energy and various forms of energy innovation;
• Reduction of building energy use through upgrades of existing structures and investment in new infrastructure;
• Systems for waste, water, recycling, compost, etc. accentuate and modernize reduced disposal; and,
• Adaptation and mitigation of climate risks such as fire, flood, extreme heat, drought, and storms, especially for vulnerable populations and infrastructure.

Merging the UN Sustainable Development Goals with Local Climate Planning

The UN Sustainable Development Goals offer details about how communities and individuals can protect the environment and slow climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions per person vary greatly among countries; globally, the 10% of the population with the highest income account for nearly half of all emissions. UN-suggested actions to reduce impacts on the environment can sync well with local, state, and federal climate frameworks through concrete examples.

Consumer energy reductions: Until electricity and heat are no longer powered by coal, oil and gas, consumers can rethink their energy use. Didn’t Grandma say, “Put on a sweater?” Lower blinds early on forecasted hot days. Switch to LED light bulbs. When an appliance reaches the end of its life, buy energy-efficient options. Add in more home insulation. Replace a oil or gas furnace with an electric heat pump.

Switch to renewables wherever possible: Inquire if the local utility company has options where home energy can be sourced from renewables such as wind or solar. Install solar panels on roofs, in yards, or on patios.

Choose alternative transportation sources whenever possible: Instead of using vehicles that burn diesel or gasoline, individuals can make conscious decisions to purchase electric vehicles. Moreover, each time a person walks or rides a bike, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve their health and fitness. When traveling longer distances, individuals can seek out public transportation, if available.

Eat more plant-based meals and eat wisely: Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are foods that significantly lower humans’ environmental impact. Producing plant-based foods generally results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land, and water. Planning meals well means more limited waste of resources and energy that were used to grow, produce, package, and transport foods. And when food rots in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas — so compost all scraps and food waste.

Go native — as you plant: Remove all non-native and invasive species from your landscaping, as animals and insects depend on natives as a food source. With non-natives and invasives, biodiversity suffers. Also, it’s time to skip insecticides and other chemicals — use organic soil enhancements.

Make money count: As consumers decide to purchase products, they should look to companies that use resources responsibly. It’s important to choose companies that are committed to cutting their gas emissions and waste — as well as not supporting politicians that promote fossil fuels.

Sing out! Join others in taking climate action. Talk to neighbors, colleagues, friends, family, business owners, and leaders at all levels. Express support for sustainable changes like plastics-free products and packaging and zero-emissions vehicles, among others. Let them know that each person should be concerned about the climate crisis — together, voices that support climate can make all the difference.

Resources

• “Actions for a healthy planet.” United Nations. Retrieved February 7, 2026. https://www.un.org/en/actnow/ten-actions
• “Trump can’t legally abandon a Senate-approved climate treaty.” Russ Feingold. New York Times. January 8, 2026.
• “What is a climate action plan?” Climate Check. Retrieved February 7, 2026. https://climatecheck.com/risks/mitigation/what-is-a-climate-action-plan