U.S. will not send officials to COP30 climate talks, White House says

The United States will not send senior officials to the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, according to a White House statement to Reuters, easing fears that Washington might try to derail the talks.

Brazil is set to host a leaders’ meeting next week ahead of the two-week UN negotiations in Belem. Earlier this month, Washington threatened visa restrictions and sanctions against nations supporting a UN shipping agency plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport. That pressure prompted most IMO members to delay a decision on a global carbon pricing mechanism.

A White House official said President Donald Trump had already made his administration’s stance clear at the UN General Assembly, calling climate change “the world’s greatest con job” and accusing governments of adopting costly climate policies. The official added that Trump is “directly engaging with world leaders on energy issues,” citing recent trade and peace deals with an energy focus.

The administration has pursued bilateral energy partnerships to expand U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to partners such as South Korea and the EU. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Friday said there was “room for great energy trade between China and the United States.”

Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will formally take effect in January 2026, while the State Department continues to review U.S. participation in other environmental accords. Earlier this year, Washington also resisted a proposed global plastics treaty that sought to cap production.

The White House official added that “the tide is turning” on prioritising climate issues, referencing a memo from billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, who argued that humanity should focus less on temperature targets and acknowledged that climate change “will not lead to humanity’s demise.”

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