Houston Vows to Meet Paris Climate Goals Despite U.S. Withdrawal

City's Climate Action Plan aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, even as Trump administration exits international accord.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 6:47pm

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Despite the Trump administration's finalization of the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the city of Houston plans to uphold the climate goals of the international accord through its own locally-developed Climate Action Plan. The plan, first unveiled in 2020 under former Mayor Sylvester Turner, includes specific targets for the city's municipal operations to reach net-zero emissions, though it does not mandate changes in the private sector which is responsible for the majority of local emissions.

Why it matters

As a global energy capital, Houston's emission reduction efforts could make substantial progress towards limiting global warming, but only if private companies also make similar commitments and other governments follow suit. The Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement could pose new obstacles to widespread adoption of climate goals worldwide.

The details

Houston's Climate Action Plan was reconfigured and moved under a new Office of Recovery and Resilience after John Whitmire replaced Turner as mayor. Whitmire promised the plan would continue to fulfill its commitments, including timeframes to electrify the city's municipal fleet. While the plan does not mandate changes in the private sector, it proposes increasing city incentives to encourage businesses and individuals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

  • In 2017, President Trump first triggered the U.S. withdrawal process from the Paris Agreement.
  • On January 27, 2025, the Trump administration finalized the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement for the second time.
  • In 2020, the city of Houston unveiled its Climate Action Plan under former Mayor Sylvester Turner.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who twice initiated the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

Sylvester Turner

The former Mayor of Houston who developed the city's Climate Action Plan in 2020 to uphold the Paris Agreement's climate goals.

John Whitmire

The current Mayor of Houston who reconfigured the city's Climate Action Plan and moved it under a new Office of Recovery and Resilience.

Harrison Humphreys

The co-leader of the Climate Action Plan's working group on transportation.

Marta Schaaf

The climate program director for Amnesty International who criticized the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

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What they’re saying

“In recent years, the United States has purported to join international agreements and initiatives that do not reflect our country's values.”

— Donald Trump (Executive order)

“It's a good first step, but it's only a first step.”

— Harrison Humphreys, Co-leader of the Climate Action Plan's transportation working group (Houston Chronicle)

“As an influential superpower, this decision, along with acts of coercion and bullying of other countries and powerful actors to double down on fossil fuels, causes particular harm and threatens to reverse more than a decade of global climate progress.”

— Marta Schaaf, Climate program director, Amnesty International (Houston Chronicle)

What’s next

The city of Houston will continue to implement its Climate Action Plan and work to meet its net-zero emissions goals for municipal operations, even as the U.S. government has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement.

The takeaway

Despite the U.S. federal government's withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, the city of Houston is demonstrating that local governments can still take meaningful action to address climate change and uphold international climate goals through their own initiatives and policies.