The Trump administration has weakened the budget of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) after falling behind on payments totaling $10 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Abu Dhabi-based group joins dozens of other agencies hobbled by the US’ broader retreat from global causes: IRENA is one of 66 international organizations, many of them linked to climate action, that the Trump administration said at the start of the year it would withdraw from.

But even before that, the US had not paid $5 million in dues to the agency in 2025 and is not expected to make its annual contribution this year either, leaving IRENA to grapple with a 22% hole in its operating budget, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The budget gap has led the agency to halt hiring senior staff in recent months, backfilling with interns and more junior roles, the person said.

An IRENA spokesperson said that membership withdrawal “takes effect at the end of the year in which it is expressed” and “shall not affect … contractual obligations or its financial obligations for the year in which it withdraws.”

The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.