Climate Talks Won't Include US

No senior US officials will attend the United Nations climate talks in Brazil next month, marking an unprecedented step back from the international climate stage by the Trump administration. The decision breaks a decades-long tradition of American participation in such summits, maintained even during previous Republican administrations, the Guardian reports. The absence underscores President Trump's open skepticism toward climate science and his administration's rollback of climate-related offices and positions, including the State Department's climate office and the climate envoy role established under Joe Biden.

• Trump's stance: White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers defended the decision, arguing that Trump's energy policies, which are focused on expanding oil and gas production, are intended to bolster the US economy and national security. Rogers dismissed Democratic climate initiatives as a "scam" and said the administration will not pursue international climate goals it sees as harmful to American interests. Instead, the Trump administration has prioritized bilateral deals, recently securing major fossil fuel and rare earth agreements with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. Trump has also used international forums to urge other nations to move away from renewable energy, saying the policies would hurt their economies.

• For those going: The upcoming COP30 summit in Belém is already facing logistical challenges, with many countries lagging on updated emissions reduction plans and delegates struggling to find accommodations. Some US governors, lawmakers, and activists plan to attend independently to signal ongoing climate action at the state and local level, but they are doing so without federal support. Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse noted that even basic embassy assistance is being withheld for Americans going to the two-week conference in Belém.
• The response: Reactions to the US pullback are mixed. Todd Stern, a former US climate negotiator, said the Trump administration's aggressive disengagement is unlikely to influence other nations' commitment to climate action. A former State Department official said the US absence might allow other countries can strike a stronger climate agreement: "If the choice is no US or a US that is there as a spoiler, to wreck and disrupt things, then I think most countries would prefer there to be no US."

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• Administration looks to Gates: A White House official told Reuters that "the tide is turning" on prioritizing climate change, pointing to a memo released this week by Bill Gates. The longtime supporter of fighting global warming endorsed moving away from trying to hit global temperature goals, saying that climate change will "not lead to humanity's demise."