On 4 November 2020, the U.S. formally withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement. This comes after President Trump announced such a move in June 2017, though it did not take effect until 4 November 2020.

President-elect Joe Biden has indicated he will recommit the U.S. to the Paris Climate Agreement. Biden would not need Senate support to rejoin since the accord is an executive agreement. Biden’s administration will just have to send a letter to the United Nations stating the intention to rejoin, and the official return would take effect in 30 days.

When will the U.S. rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement?

This will resolve on the basis of an announcement by the future Biden administration in which it states that it is formally intending to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. This would mean that the Biden administration is sending a letter to the United Nations with the intention to rejoin and resolves as the date that this letter is sent.

If the U.S. does not announce it intends to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement before 31 December 2021, then this resolves as “> Dec 31, 2021.”