Title: COP30: With Trump and numerous heads of state absent, is the summit still relevant?

A photograph from a decade ago in Paris now feels like an artifact from a bygone era. The image captures dozens of dignitaries in dark suits lined up before a massive "COP21 Paris" banner. At the center, then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron beams, standing next to the future King Charles III, while China’s Xi Jinping is positioned just ahead. To the far right, former US President Barack Obama is seen in deep conversation with an individual cut off by the frame’s edge—a testament to the sheer volume of leaders present that day, making it nearly impossible for the photographer to fit everyone into the shot.

This scene stands in stark contrast to the group photo taken on Thursday at the COP30 summit in Brazil. This year’s lineup was markedly different: Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were absent, as were the leaders of approximately 160 other nations. Most notably, US President Donald Trump was missing. The Trump administration has completely withdrawn from the process, confirming it will not dispatch any high-level representatives this year. This mass absence forces a critical question: Why convene a two-week multinational gathering if so many key players are not present?

Christiana Figueres, who led the UN’s climate process during the negotiation of the Paris Agreement, previously described the COP mechanism as "not fit for purpose" during last year’s conference. Joss Garman, a former climate activist now leading the think tank Loom, concurs, stating, "The golden era for multilateral diplomacy is over." He argues that climate politics has shifted toward competition over who captures and controls the economic advantages of emerging energy sectors.

With carbon dioxide emissions continuing to climb despite 29 previous summits designed to reduce them, skeptics wonder if additional COPs can still effect change.

Trump and the Climate 'Con Job'

Upon returning to office, Trump used his signature marker to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the 2015 UN treaty aimed at limiting global warming to below 1.5°C. Addressing the UN General Assembly in September, he labeled the issue a fraud: "This 'climate change' - it's the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world. If you don't get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail."

Under his direction, restrictions on oil, gas, and coal have been relaxed, and billions in tax breaks have been signed for fossil fuel companies. Additionally, federal lands have been opened for extraction. Trump and his advisors have urged global governments to abandon what they term "pathetic" renewable energy initiatives, instead purchasing US oil and gas, sometimes threatening punitive tariffs for non-compliance. Consequently, Japan, South Korea, and European nations have committed to buying tens of billions of dollars in US hydrocarbons.

Trump’s stated goal is to establish the US as the "number one energy superpower in the world." Simultaneously, he has moved to dismantle the clean energy agenda of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Subsidies and tax incentives for wind and solar power have been reduced, permits revoked, and projects halted. Research funding has also been slashed. When asked to justify the administration’s stance in September, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright questioned the longevity of green subsidies: "Wind power in the United States has been subsidised for 33 years - isn't that enough? You've got to be able to walk on your own after 25 to 30 years of subsidies."

John Podesta, a senior climate adviser to both Obama and Biden, offers a different perspective. "The United States is taking a wrecking ball to clean energy," he asserts. "They're trying to take us back not to the 20th Century, but the 19th."

The impact of US policy extends beyond national borders. Last month, a significant agreement intended to reduce global shipping emissions was abandoned after the US, alongside Saudi Arabia, successfully terminated the negotiations. This development has alarmed many supporters of the COP framework. A primary concern is whether the US trajectory will encourage other nations to lower their own environmental commitments. Anna Aberg, a Research Fellow at Chatham House’s Environment and Society program, highlights these growing anxieties.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2025-11-10 00:09:19 UTC