Construction Update: As we enhance the look and feel of the Aquarium and make structural improvements to the penguin exhibit, some exhibits are temporarily closed, and the penguins are off exhibit until February 13. Learn more.
PRESS RELEASE
New England Aquarium responds to U.S. withdrawal from climate treaty, international organizations
BOSTON, MASS. (Jan. 8, 2026) – The White House announced Wednesday that the United States will be withdrawing from more than 60 international agreements and organizations, including a significant climate change treaty.
The memorandum signed by President Trump would pull the U.S. out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) the climate treaty that is the basis for global cooperation in the fight against climate change. The U.S. is the first country to ever withdraw from the UNFCCC. The New England Aquarium has a history of sending a delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, more commonly known as the Climate COP.
The White House directive will also withdraw the U.S. from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)and the interagency United Nations (UN) Oceans.
The IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and measures needed to protect it. Last year, the New England Aquarium became one of the first aquariums in the world to join the IUCN, which is composed of 1,400 government and civil society organizations.
UN Oceans is the mechanism for coordinating UN activities related to oceans and coastal areas. The Aquarium serves as the lead convener for the UN Ocean Decade endorsed action, The Ripple Effect: Capacity Sharing for the Ocean, and representatives from the Aquarium have attended and participated in the UN Ocean Conference in years past.
“Solving environmental challenges, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and protecting our ocean requires collaboration on a global scale,” said Vikki N. Spruill, President and CEO at the New England Aquarium. “The New England Aquarium will continue to engage with the UNFCCC, IUCN, UN Oceans, and other international bodies to support conservation work that helps safeguard both the ocean and the planet for future generations.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org