Global Study Reveals How U.S. Withdrawal Reshaped Climate Governance and Sparked New Leadership Under the Paris Agreement

A groundbreaking new policy research paper, Reconfiguring Global Climate Governance: U.S. Withdrawal, Emerging Leadership, and the Adaptive Resilience of the Paris Agreement (2015–2025), has been released by a team of policy and industry experts. Published in Renewable Energy Chronicles: The Power Saga (Vol. 12, December 2025; ISBN 978‑81‑993949‑6‑4), the study is already drawing international attention for its sharp analysis and timely insights.

Authored by Dr. Aravindh M. A., Radhey Shyam, Dr. Anil Kumar, A. S. Parira, and Muskan Suri, the paper examines one of the most consequential developments in global climate politics: the repeated withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement and its ripple effects across the world.

A Decade of Disruption — and Unexpected Resilience

The study traces the period from 2015 to 2025, a decade marked by dramatic shifts in U.S. climate policy. It reveals that while the Paris Agreement survived two major U.S. exits, the consequences were far from neutral. The authors show that U.S. disengagement triggered:

• Fragmentation in global climate governance

• Uncertainty in climate finance flows, especially for vulnerable nations

• Higher borrowing and adaptation costs for developing economies

• A redistribution of leadership roles across Europe, China, and India

Despite these shocks, the Paris Agreement demonstrated what the authors call “adaptive institutional resilience”—a capacity to absorb political volatility while continuing to function.

New Climate Leaders Emerge

One of the paper’s most compelling findings is the rise of polycentric climate leadership. With the U.S. stepping back, other actors stepped forward:

• The European Union strengthened its regulatory and financial leadership.

• China expanded its influence through infrastructure and South–South cooperation.

• India emerged as a stabilising force, combining rapid renewable expansion with global institutional initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, CDRI, and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

The authors argue that this shift marks a historic rebalancing of climate leadership, with emerging economies playing a far more central role than ever before.

Why This Study Matters Now

As the world enters a decisive decade for climate action, the paper offers a critical reminder: global climate governance can survive without a hegemon, but not without shared responsibility.

The research highlights that the Paris Agreement’s future depends on:

• Predictable climate finance

• Stronger institutional cooperation

• Broader burden‑sharing across nations

• Stable long‑term commitments from major economies

With climate impacts intensifying worldwide, the study provides a timely roadmap for policymakers, negotiators, and global institutions navigating an increasingly complex climate landscape.

Citation

Aravindh, M. A., Shyam, Radhey, Kumar, Anil, Parira, A. S., & Suri, Muskaan (2025). “Reconfiguring global climate governance: U.S. withdrawal, emerging leadership, and the adaptive resilience of the Paris Agreement (2015–2025)”. Renewable Energy Society of India, Renewable Energy Chronicles: The Power Saga, Vol 12. ISBN 978‑81‑993949‑6‑4.

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