New Bill Halts All U.S. Funding for Climate and Ozone Treaties Until China's Status Changes

This bill, officially titled the “Ending China’s Unfair Advantage Act of 2025,” doesn't mess around. It immediately slams the brakes on U.S. federal funding for two massive international environmental treaties: the Montreal Protocol, which deals with ozone depletion, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the backbone of global climate action.

The Environmental Funding Freeze

Sections 2 and 3 of the Act are the core of the action, and they use absolute language. The U.S. government absolutely cannot spend any money on the Montreal Protocol or any funds set up under it (SEC. 2). Similarly, no federal money whatsoever can be spent on the operations, meetings, or funds of the UNFCCC (SEC. 3). This isn't a temporary cut; it’s a complete, indefinite funding blockade that overrides any other existing law that might allow these expenditures. For the U.S. agencies and scientists who rely on these funds to conduct international monitoring, research, and compliance—think of the folks tracking ozone recovery or helping developing nations transition to cleaner tech—their budgets for these activities go to zero immediately.

The China Condition: What It Takes to Thaw the Funds

The only way to unfreeze these massive funding streams is if the President certifies to Congress that the international bodies running these treaties have changed their rules regarding China. For the Montreal Protocol, the U.S. only resumes funding once the treaty members officially remove China from its current designation as a “developing country” (SEC. 2). For the UNFCCC, the funds stay locked until the treaty members officially add China to Annex I of the Convention—which is the list of industrialized nations that take on specific financial and mitigation commitments (SEC. 3). This means the continuation of U.S. participation in vital global environmental efforts is now completely tied to the political decisions of foreign governments regarding China’s economic status.

Real-World Stakes: Who Feels the Chill?

This bill is less about domestic policy and more about international leverage, but the real-world impact is felt by everyone relying on a stable global environment. The Montreal Protocol is often cited as one of the most successful international treaties ever, having helped close the ozone hole; suspending funding for its operations could slow down the final stages of that recovery. For the UNFCCC, suspending U.S. funding means pulling financial support from the global infrastructure that coordinates climate change mitigation efforts. If you’re a farmer in the Midwest or a coastal resident facing rising sea levels, the effectiveness of these global agreements matters, and the U.S. stepping away financially creates a massive hole.

Essentially, this bill uses the U.S. checkbook as a high-stakes bargaining chip. While the intent is clearly to pressure the international community to recognize China's economic power within these treaties, the immediate effect is that the U.S. is unilaterally withdrawing financial support from critical environmental agreements. Since the U.S. can't force these international bodies to change their rules, this funding freeze could be indefinite, potentially leaving global environmental efforts without crucial American financial backing for the foreseeable future.