US skips top officials at COP30 as Trump boosts fossil fuels
The Trump administration will skip sending senior officials to next month’s United Nations climate conference in Brazil, a White House representative confirmed on Saturday. No cabinet members or chief negotiators will travel to the COP30 gathering scheduled for Nov. 10 through 21 in Belem.
An unnamed administration official said President Donald Trump prefers direct conversations with foreign leaders about energy matters, pointing to recent commercial agreements and diplomatic settlements. Brazil announced on Friday that under 60 heads of state had committed to a separate leadership meeting set for Nov. 6 and 7. Leaders from France, Germany, Britain, and several other nations plan to attend, while China will dispatch Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang as President Xi Jinping’s representative.
Trump pulled America from the Paris climate accord again after taking office this January. His government has pursued policies favoring fossil fuel expansion worldwide and threatened penalties against nations supporting maritime carbon pricing through a UN agency. Despite Washington’s absence at the highest levels, more than 100 American state and municipal officials will participate. Gina McCarthy, who leads a coalition of subnational representatives, said their delegation accounts for two-thirds of the national population and three-quarters of economic output.
