US not sending any high-level officials to COP30, says White House
WASHINGTON: The United States will not send any senior officials to the upcoming COP30 climate talks in Brazil, a White House official said on Saturday (Nov 1), as President Donald Trump focuses instead on promoting fossil fuel partnerships abroad.
Trump, who withdrew from the Paris climate accord for a second time after returning to office in January, had not been expected to attend the leaders’ summit in Belem ahead of the annual UN climate conference.
But it now appears Washington will not dispatch top negotiators either.
“The US is not sending any high-level representatives to COP30,” a White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “The president is directly engaging with leaders around the world on energy issues, which you can see from the historic trade and peace deals that all have a significant focus on energy partnerships.”
TRUMP’S FOSSIL FUEL PUSH
The COP30 conference will take place from Nov 10 to 21, with a leaders’ summit on Nov 6-7. Fewer than 60 world leaders have confirmed attendance, Brazil’s government said, including those from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, Chile and Liberia. China will be represented by Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.
While Trump also exited the Paris Agreement during his first term, his administration has gone further this time, leveraging US influence to bolster fossil fuel production globally. Washington has also threatened trade reprisals against countries supporting a carbon pricing system proposed by the UN’s International Maritime Organization, effectively stalling the measure.
Climate advocates fear the US could move to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the treaty underpinning the Paris accord, though it remains unclear if the executive branch has the authority to reverse a Senate-ratified treaty.
STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS TO ATTEND
Despite the absence of federal representatives, more than 100 US state and local leaders, including governors and mayors, are expected to attend the summit under the banner of the “America Is All In” coalition.
“We are showing up in force,” said Gina McCarthy, the group’s co-chair and a former Environmental Protection Agency chief under Barack Obama.
McCarthy said the delegation represents “two-thirds of the US population and three-quarters of US GDP, and more than half of US emissions.”
“Local leaders have the authority to take climate action at home and abroad,” she said.
In total, 170 delegations are accredited for the main COP30 conference, which will convene amid global political turmoil that many fear could overshadow the climate crisis.
